My Writing Rituals
When it comes to writing, I don't believe in rules. I do, however, have a few rituals.
- Hair up, glasses and comfortable clothes on.
- Listening to my favourite poem, America by Allen Ginsberg.
- Relaxing music in languages I can't understand.
- iPhone notes, often and everywhere, filled with undefined, unformed thoughts.
- Watching YouTube videos of people with great vocabularies, like Christopher Hitchens. I mean, that voice.
- Reading essays that evoke a sophisticated simplicity. Nora Ephron and Lena Dunham in particular.
- Reading anything that leaves me craving to share my own stories.
- Having a house full of food. And by food I mean good food. Chocolate. Popcorn. The works.
- Writing down every messy thought, feeling and idea all at once.
- Then stepping away, sleeping on it and editing with a fresh pair of eyes.
- Generally speaking, 10% is writing. 90% is editing.
- Keeping an ongoing Google doc of quotes and ideas I might want to explore.
- But never feeling any pressure to explore them.
- Only writing when I absolutely feel like it.
- Knowing there really are no rules.
- This, this, this:
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