Ask Me Anything #5 - Writing Rituals

Q: Do you have a writing ritual or a setup you do before you start writing? (Mashugana)

A: I have a few rituals, yes, though some of them are coincidental rather than deliberate. In no specific order:

• Exercise: I wake up every workday at 5AM and I do about 30-60 minutes of cardio (either on a treadmill or a stationary bicycle). This wasn't originally designed to help my writing, but it turns out that I generally feel pretty good afterwards (yay for endorphins!) and it helps focus my writing. I also find that being active while everyone else is still sleeping gives me an odd feeling of achievement that makes me more productive.
• Light a candle: this one is admittedly purely ritualistic. I don't even believe it makes me write better or stay focused. It's just something I like. I buy a special brand of maple-scented candle that you only find here in Quebec and light it up so it smells amazing while I write. (I don't believe in a god, but if there was one, I bet he'd smell like maple.) Here's my candle (yes' it's in an actual maple syrup can):
• 
• Timer: I don't always start a timer, but I allocate at least one hour every workday to writing or managing my Patreon. I find that making it a daily habit (and sticking to it) gives me a sense of success and accomplishment that makes it easier to maintain my writing routine. An hour is usually long enough to write up a 1-page BF or LFF2 script, or about 250-500 words of erotica.

I try not to have too many rituals associated with my writing because I'm worried that having too many is going to become a distraction from the actual act of writing. I don't remember who it was who had that habit (Hemingway or Vonnegut, I'm not sure; maybe one of you knows), but there was a famous writer who would write at very specific times of the day and would never break that rule, If he finished a novel 30 minutes before the end of his writing period, he'd just pop in a new sheet in his typewriter (so you know that's back in the days) and get started on his new novel.

I guess what I'm trying to say to those of you who are aspiring writers (like me) is this: writing is far, far more about discipline than talent. Sit down, type stuff, enjoy writing badly and just get it done. Write, don't analyze and don't criticize yourself. I don't have stats, but I'd bet good money that the majority of writers who haven't made it have failed because of self-doubt. Accept that your first draft is going to be a smelly piece of garbage. The real talent is in cleaning it up and polishing it afterwards.

I need to make this clear: I don't think of myself as a good writer. I don't spend nearly as much time as I'd like polishing my writing because I have a day job. I sometimes cringe when I look at what I wrote or what slipped through the cracks. But what I know is that I'm a much better writer than when I started 15+ years ago. I only need to re-read what I wrote at the time to take some comfort in the fact that I have improved.

And the only way to improve is to (say it with me) "get it done."

--Jaycee