20 Writing rituals and why you need them to be inspired and focused When writing

We've talked about writing rituals before in our "Top 12 Tips for Introverted Writers" post, but the truth is that creating little rituals and habits are a great tool for any writer. 

First off, what are writing rituals?
Rituals are actions you do in a specific order in a certain way. In the case of writing rituals, they can be linked to a certain story or for a specific type of project (like blog posts), and are usually done as a series of small habits before you begin writing. They're usually more important because of their purpose rather than the actual performance of it, and can become mental links to your writing.

Why are writing rituals important?

• They help you shift your mind to the task at hand. Creating habits are an amazing way to begin connecting certain actions together, so every time you do one you immediately get in the mindset to do the other. This works because as you complete writing rituals, your brain will automatically realize it's writing time.
• They give you space to transition into work. It's always important to give yourself some time to go from your everyday to your work. Trying to jump straight into work can be difficult, or even lead to burning out quicker. Doing some rituals makes this change more seamless.
• They can be encouraging and inspiring. Not only are rituals psychologically useful, but they can also help you feel more inspired and excited about your work. If you feel good about your projects and you're truly eager to get to work it just makes everything easier and so much better.
• They connect you to your novel. Whether you have rituals that get you into character or simply reconnect you with the heart or even details of your book, writing habits that allow you this opportunity are incredibly valuable. They can help your writing become richer, more dynamic, and even get you writing more.
• They help you immerse yourself and minimize distractions. By going through a few rituals, you can clear your headspace and even what's going on around you physically so that you can focus better in the long run.

So now you agree that this all sounds like a good idea, but perhaps you're not really sure what kind of habits or actions to utilize-- or even what would make good rituals. Well, keep reading!

Ideas of writing rituals:

1. Lighting candles. Lighting candles is oddly inspiring. Whether it is the cozy atmosphere it gives or the action of lighting the flame, candle lighting is a simple but effective ritual to consider.
2. Making a specific coffee or tea inspired by your novel. Every writer needs a good go-to drink, but have you considered drinking something inspired by your novel? It's not only important keep yourself hydrated and focused, but by being creative with it, you can make it quite enjoyable. You can make something straight from your novel so you can really step into your character's world, or you can create a drink based off your main character's personality.
3. Turning on twinkle lights. Similar to lighting candles, this one is especially great if you are a writer who is highly impacted by your current setting and atmosphere.
4. Playing specific ambience. This could come in the form of recreating the sounds of places where/when you find yourself productively inspired such as a cafe or using rainstorm sounds, or you can play ambience inspired by your novel's setting. We went into more detail about this in our post for Extroverted Writers and it's full of helpful links so be sure to check it out! 
5. Starting your novel's music playlist. It's a pretty common fact that music playlists are incredibly useful for writers for a number of various reasons. In fact, we talk about it a lot here. By turning this inspiring tool into a ritual by always turning on a certain playlist for certain projects, you can really help get yourself into the writing mood.
6. Rereading your last few paragraphs. If you stopped in the middle of a project (as is often the case when writing a book), rereading what you wrote at the very end of your last session can be a great habit to get into. Not only does it catch you up on where you were and the immediate action happening, but it's also pretty inspiring to see what you've written.
7. Reviewing notes. Taking a few moments to go over your outline, notes, or research is a good way to get prepped for your writing session. Reviewing mind maps, vision/mood boards, character bios, or even just touching in on your theme are other things you could do.
8. Freewriting for five minutes in a journal. We will never stop talking about freewriting here, and that's because we think it's such a versatile and effective writing exercise. For a quick ritual, set a timer of five minutes and do a bit of journaling. This can be an actual personal journal, a writing planner journal, a brain dump notebook, or even a journal from the point of view of a character. (Bonus points if it's your antagonist!).
9. Writing down your daily goal on sticky notes. A quick but useful technique for getting more words written, but also a pretty good ritual to use is writing numbers down on sticky notes and attaching them to your wall, desk, side of your laptop, or a notebook. You can go in increments of 500 words or 1,000-- the point is that every time you hit that number you tear one off and rip it up. This is an interesting ritual because not only are you completing an action before you start writing, but you are also doing something at landmark goals along the way.
10. Starting your pomodoro timer. Get your pomodoro timer set up and going! It's so simple it's almost ridiculous, but even the act of just getting your timer started can be a part of your rituals. Our favorite pomodoro timer online is this one! We like it because you can customize every single aspect of the timer, plus they have a couple pre-made options, a to-do list section, and the ability to enter in a daily hour goal-- all of which are awesome for entrepreneurs and those working at home.
11. Turning off your phone, or using apps like Forest or Donut Dog. The act of either turning off your phone/wifi or starting an app like Forest or Donut Dog is a quick way to get you in the mood to work, because you can't be distracted by your technology. 
12. Grabbing a specific blanket/item like a crystal, specific pen, or a paperweight. Placing an object nearby like a crystal, paperweight or a specific pen is a ritual that is more lighthearted and simply for fun. Another idea we like is having a specific blanket, hat, sweater etc for only creative endeavors.
13. Write a word on your hand or nearby you. Whether you write it on your hand, have a whiteboard/chalkboard on your wall, or even just doodle it onto a sticky note and put it on your wall or a bulletin board, picking a word for your work day to motivate and encourage you is a really positive ritual. If you want to take this idea in a more educational direction, you could look up the word-of-the-day on online dictionaries and add to your vocabulary-- or challenge yourself to use it somehow in your writing!
14. Get into character (Lipstick, piece of clothing). If you're working on a novel, you are telling a character's story, so it's really vital to understand your character and even possibly put yourself in their shoes. An interesting way to do that is by adding little rituals that incorporate this idea into you habits before writing. This can be by putting on a particular lipstick, throwing your hair in a bun, always wearing a particular ring or necklace, stacking their favorite books around you, sitting on the floor, chewing a certain flavor of gum, and so on.
15. Put on your blue light filtering glasses. Your wellbeing is always important to remember, and one way you can create a ritual as well as take care of yourself is by putting on a pair of blue light filtering glasses. These help prevent headaches and tired eyes and are quite inexpensive. By using them every time you work, you'll begin to connect the putting on of the glasses as a signal that it's time to get writing.
16. Open up a typewriter app. If you are the kind of person who likes a minimal, distraction free writing program, or maybe you just like the aesthetic, opening up typewriter app can be a great addition to your writing rituals. Our favorite online typewriter is very customizable-- down to changing the background color and the typewriter sound, it saves your work so you won't lose it, and it has great typewriter noises. The zipping, clicking sound that plays when you open the app becomes a well-loved auditory trigger that signals you're about to be creative.
17. Start an essential oil diffuser. Essential oils not only smell good but they can be used therapeutically for various uses. If you're sensitive to chemical scents or you just enjoy the natural benefits, putting on an essential oil diffuser on is a wonderful ritual. You can put focus-oriented oils in if you're working on blog posts, or for an inspiring twist, you could create an oil blend for your book or particular characters. We love Plant Therapy for affordable, quality oils and an amazing customer service and community. (This is a referral link, so I may collect points at no cost to you if you purchase an item). 
18. Put on some noise-cancelling headphones. Or just regular headphones, if that's what you have, but we find that a pair of good noise-cancelling headphones can seriously cut off distractions and get your super-focus on. Often, just the act of connecting the bluetooth/ plugging it and putting them on sends the message to yourself that you're about to do some serious work.
19. Recite some mantras/affirmations. It can be really uplifting and motivational to take a moment to read through or recite some of your personal mantras or affirmations. Your mindset is the most critical aspect to your success, so making sure you are in the right brain space is important. This can be positive phrases, or it can even be motivational quotes or inspiring Scripture.
20. Make sure you have everything you'll need accessible. Whatever rituals you decide to do, one of the most important ones is making sure you have everything you need accessible and ready to go for your writing. This prevents you from having to get up and break your work flow just because you forgot something, and it allows you to jump in faster with purpose.

So there you have it! Writing rituals ultimately come down to what makes you most inspired, happy, and ready to write. We listed our top 20 ideas, but we'd love to hear yours too, so drop a comment below and let's share ideas.

Stay Fearless!