Shonda Rimes, TV drama writer, says that she can write anywhere–a doctor’s office, the airport, or the lobby of her daughter’s preschool. However, it’s not because those are the places where she is most inspired or because she has deadlines to meet. It’s because of her writing ritual–the thing that gets her ready to write. For her, that’s having her noise canceling headphones in her ears playing her tunes. What happens when she pops in those babies is a conditioned response. This result is based on the theory of Ivan Pavlov.

Conditioned Response

A conditioned response is when something automatically happens in reply to a stimulus. It creates a sort of salivation of the mind. As writers, we can cultivate this automation to our advantage. We can transform ourselves into people who not only write, but also grow because we cannot help but practice our craft. The same idea applies to whatever else you’re trying to promote. If you need to cultivate a habit, the best thing to do is create a ritual around it. That ritual becomes your metaphorical bell a la Pavlov’s dog, and you will get what you want. You will essentially trick yourself into a new norm.

The word ritual

For many years, I thought the word “ritual” was what we called a “bad” word when we were kids. I associated it with cults and witches. Once I came to terms with the falsity of thinking that a ritual was demonic, I could look at the value of something set aside as sacred or special. Full disclosure, though, when I was looking up the definition of the word to write this post, I was disturbed by the images that came up on Google. Further investigation set me at ease, so I was able to continue. For our purposes, we will define it as a structure for doing something–the same way–repeatedly.

Examples of writer’s rituals

Because I don’t know other actual writers, my examples of writer’s rituals are limited. So, I’ll share what I’ve learned from characters in movies and from writers I’ve heard on Masterclass.

• The character of Erica Berry in the movie Something’s Gotta Give sets her writing stage with French music, cooking and then typing away at her massive desk that overlooks the ocean.
• Walter Mosely, novelist, writes every morning for 3 hours–no matter the day–holidays included.
• David Sedaris, humorist, writes in the morning, goes out into the world for the rest of the day, and then writes again in the evening.
• Michael Lewis, non-fiction writer, puts his phone outside of his office, sits in his comfortable writing chair, and cranks up his playlist (which contains pop music).
• I clear my desk, open up my laptop, hang some beads on the outside of my door, cue the French music (yes, I’m a copycat), and then write.

Identify your ideal, then chunk it

If you want writing to be a part of your daily routine, the way getting dressed and having your coffee is, then start by identifying your ideal writing situation. Write down or just dream about having all the perfect conditions for yourself. Allow yourself to feel that ideal, and then take a look at your reality. What do you have? Do you have a desk? A diffuser? Spotify? A lamp? How about a writer’s mantra? Or how about a stack of fortunes you’ve been collecting each time you order Chinese food? Start experimenting with what you do have that you can attach to your writing.

As you probably already figured out, the word “ideal” can be a defeating one. Getting attached to an ideal can paralyze you, which means no movement is happening. That was my life when I would go days without writing even a line. No location in my space was good enough, and my chair from Hobby Lobby was subpar. I’d go on a rampage because I didn’t have a beach view like Erica Berry and was living primitively in a Texas suburb. And, because I worked from home, my office was too stifling to possibly use it for creative writing. It wasn’t until I adopted my writer’s ritual that I developed a conditioned response. If you’re struggling with this, pick one thing that feels special to you and link it. If it’s not the right link, it won’t stick, and you can try again. Before you know it, you could finish that novel or write that blog that inspires millions.