Snow Melt

War Chest Wednesday: Odd or Weird Witing Rituals

The July 17, 2013 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"  is
Describe an odd or unusual writing habit or ritual you or someone you know has.

Before beginning writing
I say a prayer for Aid and assistance,
And then I make sure that my spring and summer coffee
Has enough ice in the glass
To keep it iced
Or my fall and winter coffee is hot.

I sometimes set a timer
For five, ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes
And then I write
As if I am a ship in a hurricane
Or a house in a tornado.

These may seem like wile and weird writing rituals, but I suspect they are rather tame when compare to some of those listed in the article Strange Writing Rituals.1 The only one of those rituals I have tried is number three and I can attest to the fact that drink coffee works when encouraging writing. All thought, I prefer to spice my coffee up with hot coco mix in the winter and ice in the summer.

For the past couple of weeks or few week, I am not sure when this depression and distraction issue began, I have had difficulty focusing on writing. I have switched from hot coffee to iced coffee, with coffee ice cubes. I have drink my coffee out of tall and short glasses. I still have problems focusing and I know that the coffee is not the basis of the issue. I am research writing rituals to see if there is something I can add to the rituals I already practice. I found some thought provoking rituals in 8 Strange Rituals of Productive Writers,2 which may or may not help. While there is one I will not practice some of them sound like they would goose my muse.

It just dawned on me that I have another ritual, which I did not consider a ritual until I realized that it helps me concentrate. When I do online research I focus easier on writing after I complete the research. It does not mater whether I am looking up an article for "ritual" ideas or an appropriate quote of the day once I accomplish the research goal my focus returns for a little while and I can write.

Writing is excruciating,
but not writing the story you have withing
is the worst agony
in the universe.

So pick the weird
or the odd ritual that helps you write
and write the story within.

Thought of the Day: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” - Maya Angelou

Footnotes
1  http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/seven-strange-writing-rituals
2  http://www.copyblogger.com/writing-rituals/