Every writer has their little rituals.
Some people light candles. Some people have a lucky mug. Some people can apparently write in complete silence like absolute psychopaths.
Here’s what I can’t write without.
Headphones (preferably noise-canceling)
I cannot overstate how much I need these.
I don’t have a dedicated office, so most of my writing happens from the recliner in my living room while my husband, kids, and dogs continue living their very loud, perfectly normal lives around me.
If I can hear the TV, someone asking where their shoes are, or a dog barking at absolutely nothing…my focus is gone.
Spotify
This goes hand-in-hand with the headphones.
I have playlists for almost every project and every mood. Emotional scenes. Romantic scenes. Tension. Revision. Even one that’s basically just for outlining and building character bibles.
The right song can pull me back into a story faster than almost anything else.
A drink
Usually an Alani.
Sometimes a soda.
Less often…water.
Okay, it’s never water.
But every writing session starts with me convincing myself that this might finally be the day I become one of those people who’s properly hydrated.
It has yet to happen.
A blanket
If I’m writing in my recliner, there has to be a blanket over my legs. It feels wrong otherwise.
My feet get cold ridiculously fast, and for reasons I can’t explain, socks make me want to crawl out of my own skin.
So blanket it is. Every single time.
Those four things don’t magically make the words come easier.
But they do tell my brain, Okay. It’s time to write.
Now I’m curious…
What’s the one thing you always need before you can settle in and do your best work?