“I write more easily, more comfortably, with less anxiety if I’ve got my various magic bits on the table.” – Phillip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials trilogy
If you’re lucky and writing comes easily to you and you can write anywhere at any time then lucky you. For many of us we need a bit of help to maintain our writing discipline. One of the best ways I’ve found to do this is by creating a routine or writing ritual. This routine signals that is it time to get down to business and write in your journal.
My own routine consists of a daily walk to my local coffeeshop. My ritual is as follows: I order the same thing every time. One small black coffee with no room. I grab a couple napkins to rest my cup lid on while the coffee cools. I clear my table and set up my journal, notebooks, and phone. The first thing I do is write a stream of conscious poem in my poetry workbook. This helps me get in the writing mood. Once I’ve done these things I open up my journal and start. I write for one hour minimum.
What’s your routine? If you don’t have one then how do you picture it?
The key to your journaling practice is consistency. Set aside time every day to sit down with your journal and write whatever you can. It’s ok to just write one line or pages worth. Just make sure you are consistent with your practice. Devise a routine. Either go to a coffeeshop like I do or set up at your kitchen table or wherever feels the most comfortable to you. Make the time. Set the place. Get to work.
Update: It’s been a while since I wrote this post so I thought I would update how my routine has changed. The COVID pandemic put the cafe writing on hold for over a year for me. My usual haunt didn’t reopen for regular seating until Spring of this year (2022) so I did most of my journaling at my secretary desk at home. Now that I’m able to go back to the cafe again I’ve resumed my old routine but with two changes. The stream of consciousness poems are an occasional thing now and I have added music listening to the writing session. After years of not having working hearing aids I now have a pair that work amazingly well and they have the ability to stream music directly from my phone. This is a game changer for me because I first started journaling while I was a drummer/lyricist in a band way back in the 90s and I listened to music all the time and especially while writing. So now my ritual is as follows: Walk to the cafe at least twice a week, order one small black coffee with no room. Napkins for the lid. Pens at the ready. Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue streaming on repeat. Write for one hour minimum. I’d do this every day if I could!
