Now that I’m back to a regular blogging schedule, I thought I would bring the Writing Workshop posts back. I have witchy themed posts planned throughout this month which brings up this topic: rituals. While I was sorting through my old poetry and short stories I asked myself – how often was I writing every day? How many books did I read a month? What time of the day did I write the most? You think I had the answer to my own work but I sat there wondering how did I write that, and the answer is always the story just wrote itself. I was scared I couldn’t do it again. Like someone who had just discovered they could use magic. I didn’t have control of when I could use my own powers.
In a diary from 2010, I wrote “Most of my poems I write after 8 pm.” Stanzas were crossed out and poems went through 3 or 4 drafts before the final draft was finished. Long lists of reading material, a trail of classics and school books. In 2002 I created an imaginative world called Remoria that belonged to winged beasts, talking animals, enchantments and giant snakes. Lost in a new world, our heroine finds love by accident, her place in the kingdom, and a secret power held inside her. By the time I was ten, I had 400 pages of this world, with maps, an encyclopedia of creatures created by me, illustrations, and character charts. Life is a lot different as an adult, so finding a time that you won’t be distrubed and can work on what you’ve written is essential. For me, for some reason, I need to dissapear in a small room, a closet, or bathroom to write.
Back then I read to win contests (that’s so crazy!) and I joined a book club in the 8th grade and I spent every school day I could in the library. I read all day all summer long, I have diary entries where I talk about being outside with my book a lot. I did not go any where wihout a book. It was like a book of spells, whatever I was reading at the time a magical portal of words I could escape into. Writers are made in the library, I think. Spending time in the library is part of my writing ritual, it’s like a holy church. I also make sure to read for 15 minutse in the morning and 15 minutes at night. My two favorite books I read this month were The Jungle Book and The Wind in the Willows.
The next part of the writing ritual was music – this is a HUGE tool, at least for me it helps me get in the zone.Right now I’m currently obbsessed wtih Twenty One Pilot’s new album, Trench after my friend shared some lyrics. It’s for visual stimulation.
In a documentary, Tolkein mentions how smoking his pipe and writing “he can’t do one without the other.” in an interview with Alice Hoffman she talks about how she writes best when staring at a blank wall. I use pen and paper to write about the characters and dialogue and all sorts of ideas I might have. I need a blank program to write my story out and I use Wattpad, only because my computer does not have Word. I thought it would be fun to look into more on how I write and see where the magic begins. Is there anything you find yourself doing? I’d love to hear if you have any writing rituals?
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Also find another help Workshop post here:
https://thewoodnymphjournal.wordpress.com/2018/06/12/writers-workshop-tips-about-theme/
the pretty poems 
I feel as though I do not have a ritual yet. I think I deeply need one. My writing process feels very chaotic and deeply in need of some sort of routine to manage it.
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I’m sure you have some things you always do – Maybe see what really moves you! if it feels like you have your writing every where then maybe having one designated folder/notebook for writing ideas might help, think about what your most proud of and try to juggle one project at a time. maybe try writing in sprints! that helps me on busy days.
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