I am continuing to work two days a week to make sure that I am not solely relying on my income from my writing because, let's face it, I am at the beginning of my journey to becoming a bona fide freelance writer (only in the monetary sense - in my head I am already a writer) and I am not raking in the $$$ too much just yet. Patience Ruth. Patience.
Nonetheless, over the past year since I started writing for outlets other than the tear stained pages of my journal (LOL JK...ahem) I have developed a handful of writing rituals that keep me motivated and productive and also put me at ease when a deadline is looming.
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| PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest |
My Writing Rituals
1. I wear comfy clothes but I make sure that I get out of my pjs. Whether its on a weekend or a Wednesday, which is the day that I have been dedicating as my writing day for the past month, I make sure that I am NEVER in my pyjamas past 9am. Granted my comfy clothes (my Jurassic Park t-shirt and harem pants are my weapon of choice recently) do resemble pyjamas but changing my clothes is a physical act to separate sleepy bed time and tappidy tap at the laptop time.
2. I listen to thunderstorms on YouTube. No judging please. It calms me and stops me getting distracted by a bee that's got into the conservatory or the builders that are renovating next doors kitchen.
3. I set an alarm every two hours. I once wrote a blog post that was titled 'Why schedules don't work for everybody' and I do still stand by that sentiment in some ways, but I think that I should have referred to 'routine' rather 'schedule' in that post because I've learnt recently that schedules are actually quite an important part of working from home. If I don't set my alarm for every two hours, I will forget to drink, eat, pee, or even leave my seat all day!
4. I clear the workspace first. Myself and my partner recently moved back in with my parents in a bid to save some money so my 'work space' actually doubles up as the family dining room table and is somewhat of a dumping ground (from where I am sitting now I can spot a beanie, a dog collar, an iPad, a Weight Watchers diary, a speaker, and a pair of gloves). I spend 10-15 minutes tidying the table top before I even open up the laptop. It's not ideal but it works fine for now, and as E.B White (author of Charlotte's Web aka the first book to ever make me cry) famously wrote:
“A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”
5. I bag up all the stuff that I will need for the day. As I just mentioned, my current home office is merely downstairs from my current sleeping quarters. Just as changing my clothes makes the distinction between the two, so does packing up my 'work bag' for the day and bringing it down to the 'office'. I try to avoid going upstairs to the land of distractions during the day.
6. I light candles. Not like a seance - I don't want the dining room to resemble something from The Craft, but I just use something light and natural smelling. It covers up the dog's farts if nothing else.
7. I limit the coffee. I had this brilliant idea to buy a coffee machine for the house and now a tasty coffee is never more than 30 seconds away!
8. I try to finish one job before starting another. It can get ever so confusing when e-mails start flying around and interrupt your train of thought so I try to at least stop in a reasonable place if I am needed elsewhere.
9. Have some 'no screen' time after a day at the laptop. I like watching films, and YouTube videos, and shows on Netflix but when I've spent an entire day staring at a screen it is nice to go outside, go to the gym, or get comfy with a good book.
10. I try and read at least one short inspiration piece of writing a day. These are usually pieces by other writers about their careers and their goals, tips and guidelines to launching a career in writing, or interviews with successful writers (I read this piece recently on Jacqueline Wilson who I absolutely adore). Please note this is homework and not procrastination!
Hello and welcome to This Ruth Is On Fire, a UK blog which is a haven for random thoughts and sarcastic observations.
I'm also into books, clothes and visiting places too.
