Nicole Bianchi

Writing, Copywriting, & Marketing Strategies

  • Home
  • About
  • Stories & Essays
  • Blog
  • Courses
  • Contact

How to Spark Inspiration with a Powerful Writing Ritual

Published May 22, 2016 | Last Updated May 21, 2020 By Nicole Bianchi 35 Comments

Pen resting on top of journal covered in handwriting

A story idea suddenly appears in your head with a complete beginning, middle, and end. You sit down to write, and the words flow freely. It’s as if the story is typing itself.

How often do you experience that kind of burst of incredible inspiration?

I’m guessing that probably doesn’t happen to you very often. (If it does, I am incredibly envious of your superpower.)

However, for the majority of us writers, the Muse is more like a grouchy hibernating bear who refuses to leave itsย cave. If we waitย for herย to drop in on us before we startย writing, we probably would only end up with a handful of words every year.

In Jack London’s 1905 essay on how to become a published writer, he wisely observed, “Donโ€™t loaf and invite inspiration; light out after it with a club, and if you donโ€™t get it you will nonetheless get something that looks remarkably like it.”

London believed that writing daily was the best way to rouse the sleeping Muse. He advised in his essay, “Set yourself a ‘stint,’ and see that you do that ‘stint’ each day; you will have more words to your credit at the end of the year.”

However, implementing a daily writing habit is hard work, and evenย when we show up at the computer, the words might still refuse to come.

We need a way to lure the Muse out of the cave, and one of the best ways to do that is with a writing ritual. Read on to discover how several famous writers used writing rituals to spark inspiration and how you too can design a powerful writing ritual to achieve your daily writing goals.

What is a Writing Ritual?

iPhone on top of closed journal next to laptop computer

A writing ritual is a set sequence of actions that you perform beforeย you sit down to write. It couldย be as simple as making a cup of tea or playingย one of your favorite music CDs.

Stephen King described his writing process in this way:

There are certain things I do if I sit down to write…I have a glass of water or a cup of tea. Thereโ€™s a certain time I sit down, from 8:00 to 8:30, somewhere within that half hour every morning…I have my vitamin pill and my music, sit in the same seat, and the papers are all arranged in the same places. The cumulative purpose of doing these things the same way every day seems to be a way of saying to the mind, youโ€™re going to be dreaming soon.

In an interview, Jack Kerouac admitted that he also implemented writing rituals,

I had a ritual once of lighting a candle and writing by its light and blowing it out when I was done for the night … also kneeling and praying before starting (I got that from a French movie about George Frideric Handel).

For Neil Gaiman, his ritual involves writing by hand and using a particular pen,

I try to change my superstitions with each project. Working in fountain pen is good because it slows me down just enough to keep my handwriting legible. Often I use two pens with different coloured ink, so I can tell visually how much I did each day.

Toni Morrison also believes in the power of writing rituals:

Recently I was talking to a writer who described something she did whenever she moved to her writing table. I donโ€™t remember exactly what the gesture wasโ€”there is something on her desk that she touches before she hits the computer keyboardโ€”but we began to talk about little rituals that one goes through before beginning to write.

I, at first, thought I didnโ€™t have a ritual, but then I remembered that I always get up and make a cup of coffee while it is still darkโ€”it must be darkโ€”and then I drink the coffee and watch the light come. And she said, Well, thatโ€™s a ritual. And I realized that for me this ritual comprises my preparation to enter a space that I can only call nonsecular…

Writers all devise ways to approach that place where they expect to make the contact, where they become the conduit, or where they engage in this mysterious process. For me, light is the signal in the transition. Itโ€™s not being in the light, itโ€™s being there before it arrives. It enables me, in some sense.

In a nutshell, writing rituals are aย way of baiting the Muse. They help us mentally prepare ourselves to start writing and are one of the essential steps to forming a daily writing habit.

How Rituals Help Us Formย a Daily Writing Habit

Stack of books and open journal

In his book The Power of Habit, Pulitzer Prizeโ€“winning business reporter Charles Duhigg reveals the important three-step process to forming a habit:

First, there is a cue, a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and which habit to use. Then there is the routine, which can be physical or mental or emotional. Finally, there is a reward, which helps your brain figure out if this particular loop is worth remembering for the future. Over time, this loopโ€ฆbecomes more and more automatic. The cue and reward become intertwined until a powerful sense of anticipation and craving emerges.

A writing ritual, then, could be seen as aย cue. For example, by lighting his candle before each writing session, Kerouac was training his brain to associate the candle with the act of writing. Whenever the candle was lit, his brain would switch into writing mode.

However, it took time before the brain linked the action of lightingย a candle to the creative process of writing.ย Kerouac needed to consistently implement his ritual each day.

Haruki Murakami notes the importance of following the same writing routine day in and day out,

When Iโ€™m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at 4:00 am and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for 10km or swim for 1500m (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at 9:00 pm. I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; itโ€™s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind.

The Takeaway: How to Design Your Own Writing Ritual

Open journal on table with blank white pages

Ultimately, writing rituals help us nurture habits that are essential to our creativity. As Flannery O’Connor wrote in a letter,

Iโ€™m a full-time believer in writing habitsโ€ฆYou may be able to do without them if you have genius but most of us only have talent and this is simply something that has to be assisted all the time by physical and mental habits or it dries up and blows away.

So how do youย go about designing a writing ritual that will assist the creative side of your brain?ย First, you need to consider what sort of actions and environment help you prepare yourself to write.

In my case, when I write fiction, I like to spend a little time beforehand tidying up my writing space. Thisย helps put me in the frame of mind that I am going to begin working productively. I try to write at the same time in the same room every evening, and I’ll play the same CD as well (thus, that music becomes associated with my writing time). When writing nonfiction, I don’t have a set time when I write, but I do like to use a timer to sharpen my focus,ย as Anthony Trollope did.

Of course, everyone’s writing ritual will be unique to them.ย Toni Morrison gives this advice for determining what kind of ritual you should implement,

I tell my students one of the most important things they need to know is when they are their best, creatively. They need to ask themselves, What does the ideal room look like? Is there music? Is there silence? Is there chaos outside or is there serenity outside? What do I need in order to release my imagination?

Essentially, we must createย a climate and a series of actions that encourage theย brain to show up to write each day. Only in that way will the Muse see we are serious about our craft. Steven Pressfield writes inย The War of Art,

This is the other secret that real artists know and wannabe writers donโ€™t. When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us. The Muse takes note of our dedication. She approves. We have earned favor in her sight. When we sit down and work, we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights accrete.

What does your writing ritual look like? If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment and share with someone you would like toย inspire.

Promotional image of blog post for sharing on Pinterest

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Did you enjoy this post? Get the free eBook!

Join theย mailing list, and as a special welcome gift, I'll send you a free copy of my eBook "Famous Writers' Productivity Hacks". You will also get myย latest posts about how to hone your craft (+ more writing inspiration not shared on the blog) delivered straight to your inbox.

A confirmation email is on its way!

Your data is collected, used, and protected according to theย Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

Filed Under: creativity, inspiration, productivity, writing

Comments

  1. Maria De La Rosa says

    July 7, 2019 at 8:02 pm

    Some really great advice! Thanks

    Reply
  2. Bryan D. Greene says

    April 13, 2019 at 5:12 am

    Hello Nicole,
    Thank you for sharing your insight! 100% agree with the principles. I will equip myself with what I have learned to become a more consistent creative thinker and writer.

    Reply
  3. Jim Sieyes says

    March 20, 2019 at 3:06 pm

    Good Evening,Nicole,

    Cracking piece. That’s Scots-speak for great stuff. My ritual is the daily struggle out of procrastination. Frustrating.

    Going to have a look again to what I get up to in light of your excellent suggestions.

    Many thanks.

    Kind regards,

    Jim

    Reply
  4. James says

    February 2, 2019 at 5:46 pm

    Ah some good solid writing advice. Got some great ideas here, and currently my ritual is that I have some trippy colour artificial flowers in a sparkly bottle on my desk- they look otherworldly so I stroke their petals a little before writing and think up some ideas while doing so.
    As well thanks for some actual advice. When I posted questions on Yahoo answers to get advice on writing a book 99% of the “answers” were insulting and abusive language…people just seemed mad about the fact that a book was being written, some people get very angry when they see someone actually having the dedication to do something that they aren’t. Thanks again.

    Reply
  5. RiverWrites says

    March 1, 2018 at 5:11 pm

    Hi Nicole,

    We enjoyed reading this post, my young lad and I. It resonates with me and my young lad, who is an avid writer, for his age!

    Reply
  6. Diane Young says

    February 27, 2018 at 4:58 pm

    I tried to sign up for your FB group, but it didn’t work. “Subscriber type unsubscribed.” ???

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      February 27, 2018 at 6:04 pm

      Hi Diane,

      It looks like you had unsubscribed from the email list. Would you like me to resubscribe you?

      Reply
  7. Diane Young says

    February 27, 2018 at 4:56 pm

    I tried to sign up for your FaceBook group, but it didn’t work because the app said, “Subscriber type
    unsubscribed”. ???

    Reply
  8. AH says

    June 16, 2016 at 7:08 am

    Interesting post! Thanks for writing.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      June 17, 2016 at 1:13 pm

      Thank you! So happy you found it informative! ๐Ÿ˜€

      Reply
  9. Karli says

    June 2, 2016 at 11:59 am

    Fantastic!
    It is truly incredible how we can train our minds! I loved all of your sources, each author giving their perspective on what we all can benefit from!

    My ritual is getting up before my kids (so there is silence!), making a cup of coffee, reading my Bible, and then I turn Imogen Heap radio on Pandora and start writing! The days I follow through on my ritual I get SO much more written!

    Thanks for always sharing really insightful tips on writerly things ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      June 2, 2016 at 11:24 pm

      Thank you so much, Karli! ๐Ÿ˜€

      Loved reading about your ritual. It sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing! I also like to start my morning by reading several Bible passages. ๐Ÿ™‚ And music really helps to set the mood once I sit down to write. And, yes, I agree. The ritual really does make the writing flow so much easier!

      Reply
  10. Shonazee says

    June 2, 2016 at 10:39 am

    Love, love this post, Nicole!
    In fact, I’m love with the blog, will keep visiting it like all the time!
    Thank you so much for the comment on my blog ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      June 2, 2016 at 10:49 pm

      Hi, Shonazee! ๐Ÿ˜€ Thank you so much for your sweet message! I really enjoyed reading your blog too. ๐Ÿ™‚ So happy we met through Instagram.

      Reply
  11. Michael Kilman says

    May 31, 2016 at 2:52 pm

    Excellent blog here. It’s so important to creat a writing routine.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      May 31, 2016 at 4:10 pm

      Thanks so much, Michael! Glad you enjoyed it. ๐Ÿ™‚ And I definitely agree!

      Reply
  12. Ellen Read says

    May 30, 2016 at 9:40 pm

    Hello Nicole.
    A great, inspiring post. Thank you.
    I always have breakfast first – food and a cup of tea. That gives me and my brain energy. After breakfast I open my study curtains and let in the light. Then I dress and then go back to the study. I write at the same desk in front of the same computer in my study.( I already have thought about what I’m going to write. I may do this the night before.) I play some music before I start writing but not while I’m writing. I prefer the silence so I can immerse myself in my own world- the world of my story. I have a cup of coffee between 10am and 10.30am. At irregular intervals, I walk around the house, to stretch my legs, to think.
    I probably have more rituals if I think about it. Thank you once again. Ellen.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      May 31, 2016 at 4:09 pm

      Hi, Ellen! ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you so much for your comment!

      I love your rituals. This routine sounds so peaceful and relaxing — the perfect way to awaken the creative side of your brain. I like that you think about what you’re going to write the night before. I too find it much easier to start writing when I’ve planned everything out in my head or on paper in advance.

      Thanks again for sharing! ๐Ÿ˜€

      Reply
  13. Nadia King says

    May 29, 2016 at 8:32 pm

    Hi Nicole, great post. Like anything in life we need to prepare. I might have to work on setting up a ritual. If I’m at home I usually make a cup of tea. When out and about, I start writing straight away. I think a prayer or just a focusing of the mind before I start, could really help. Thanks for posting this interesting and valuable post.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      May 30, 2016 at 2:06 pm

      Hi, Nadia! ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you! I find tea very inspirational as well, though I don’t always remember to make a cup when I sit down to write. I do love the idea of saying a prayer before writing.

      Reply
  14. Jodi Heisz says

    May 29, 2016 at 8:21 pm

    Great ideas! I really need to have a set ritual. I believe it will help to set the tone for writing. Sometimes it feels like I take too long to warm-up. Definitely will give it a try1

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      May 30, 2016 at 2:04 pm

      Thanks, Jodi! I definitely find it very helpful for getting my brain into writing mode. Hope you are able to find a ritual that works for you! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  15. Margaret says

    May 28, 2016 at 11:31 am

    Hey Nicole! Great topic. I have a love-hate relationship with routine. I think if I pretend I don’t have one, but secretly set up all conditions to facilitate one, it works. Sometimes? Still working it out… ๐Ÿ˜› Thanks for stopping by the blog!

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      May 28, 2016 at 8:45 pm

      Hi, Margaret! ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks for your comment! Haha, it’s so true that routines can be difficult to implement. At first, I didn’t think I had a ritual when writing nonfiction, but then I realized that there were still a number of actions that helped me get into writing mode, even if it was just as simple as opening my favorite word processor and setting a timer. Now I try to do those whenever I sit down to write. It sounds like my method is similar to yours. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
  16. MaryEllen Miller says

    May 27, 2016 at 7:36 pm

    My writing ritual is same time, same pen, same journal, and coffee. Then it is time to write!

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      May 28, 2016 at 12:12 am

      That’s wonderful that you write by hand, MaryEllen! I used to write by hand quite a bit but mostly type on the computer now. I should get back into the habit of writing by hand each day. Your ritual sounds very inspiring. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  17. Mike Loomis says

    May 27, 2016 at 2:59 pm

    Terrific post, Nicole! I’d never heard of this. Grateful you shared!

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      May 27, 2016 at 3:33 pm

      Thank you, Mike! It’s little tricks like these that really help on those days that you’re facing writer’s block. Hope you find a powerful writing ritual that works for you!

      Reply
  18. Jodi Clock says

    May 27, 2016 at 9:35 am

    This post was inspiring and motivational. It reiterated what I have been contemplating.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      May 27, 2016 at 11:50 am

      Thanks so much, Jodi! So happy to hear you found it inspirational. ๐Ÿ™‚ Do you have a writing ritual?

      Reply
  19. Sean says

    May 24, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    Great post Nicole. When I am writing productively it is thanks 100% to my routine:

    1. Wake up at 0445.
    2. Put on the coffee (brewed on the stove top with a Moka pot. Delicious!)
    3. Sit down at the computer and write from 0500 – 0600

    Lately however I’ve been a little burnt out from it all. I write professionally for work as well so it can get to be a bit much. When we are busy I find it hard to balance work, personal writing, and exercise.

    As a de-load period I’ve started working out from 0500 – 0600, then putting on the coffee and writing until 0630. As long as I get a minimum of 15min writing time daily then I’ve hit my 1% for the day.

    S.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      May 26, 2016 at 9:52 pm

      Hi, Sean! Thank you for your comment!

      Your routine sounds fantastic. Iโ€™ve never been a coffee drinker, but maybe there is something inspirational in brewing a pot? Toni Morrison seemed to think so too. ????

      I know what you mean about finding it difficult to balance work, writing, and exercise. There are only so many hours in a day, and itโ€™s easy for our brains to get overwhelmed. Whenever I go for a walk or workout, I always find that afterwards Iโ€™m better able to focus on my writing.

      All the best with achieving your writing goals!

      Reply
  20. Alicia says

    May 23, 2016 at 12:25 pm

    I absolutely LOVE this post ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you so much for writting it.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      May 23, 2016 at 12:29 pm

      Thanks so much, Alicia! ๐Ÿ˜€ So glad you enjoyed it. Do you have a writing ritual?

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 5 Strategies to Boost Your Productivity While Working From Home - Nicole Bianchi says:
    March 19, 2020 at 1:31 pm

    […] might prefer playing music. I wrote this article about the different writing rituals of famous authors that helped them get into a flow while they […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi, I’m Nicole! I help creatives, business owners, and writers take their writing and copywriting to the next level and grow their online audience. I’m also a published writer of essays and short stories.ย As a Christian, I seek to follow in the tradition of artists like Johann Sebastian Bach, dedicating all my workย Soli Deo gloria.
Find out more about me here.
โ€ขโ€ขโ€ข
“My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”
– Psalm 45:1

___________________

AS SEEN ON:

Support the Blog!

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Medium
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Nicole Bianchi is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2023 Nicole Bianchi Creative LLC ยท All Rights Reserved ยท Privacy Policy ยท Psalm 45:1