Like most sports fans, athletes, gamblers or anyone else who is pushing for a certain outcome, I think most writers are a little superstitious. Many of us have a routine or certain things we do that we feel, based on no factual evidence whatsoever, help us succeed while we write. A favorite pair of sweatpants, a collection of toys our son as given me and sitting in my favorite spot all ensure or at least I feel that way, that I will have a good day of writing.
So you can imagine my shock when I realized that the window shutters I’m having installed tomorrow (which I’ve wanted for years) will change my writing space! The logical side of my brain insists there will be no change to my writing, but the emotional side of my brain is a full-tilt sheer panic – where will I put my coffee? What if I can’t see out the window enough or the shutters are a distraction? Am I doomed never to write another word because of my stylish new window treatments?
This has seriously kept me up the past few nights.
The reality is that I will probably be able to continue writing. I’ll just have to find a slightly new routine. And while change is never easy, it usually can lead to bigger and better things. Life isn’t meant to be lived in a rut – changes and new experiences are what make life exciting.
If I keep saying all that, I will eventually believe it! Wish me luck.
Just in case you think I’m crazy, here is a list of some favorite writers and their routines:
Alexander Dumas wrote all his fiction on blue paper, his poems on yellow paper and articles on pink paper.
Charles Dickens carried a compass with him and always slept facing north. He believed it improved his writing and creativity.
John Steinbeck wrote the first draft of many of his novels, including East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice And Men using a meticulously sharpened Blackwing 602 pencil. He kept twelve on his desk at all times.
Truman Capote would neither start nor finish any of his writing on a Friday. He also wrote only when lying down and was known as “the horizontal writer.”
Dr. Seuss turned to his large collection of hats for inspiration when he faced writer’s block.
Happy Tuesday!💕