How to be a more effective writer with #Writing Rituals – or #Writuals

When you want to be a better writer – Writuals can help you.

This morning I mis-typed rituals and started the word with a W – so I typed it as Writuals.

 

Then I thought – I can use this “mistake”. The words Write and Ritual – fit together well to create Writual.

Maybe some creative person has coined the term before. My “creation” this morning was a happy accident!

 

Anyway, back to Writing Rituals (or Writuals!)

 

A law school colleague sent me a link to a US writer/blogger he admires – James Clear.

Link at the end of this post if you are interested.

I really like James’s writing style. His style is  engaging and encouraging and easy-to-read and (even better) easy-to-apply!

James writes about how he found writing a challenge!  He became better at it by sticking to “systems” rather than goals. He systematically writes every Tuesday and Thursday.

 

James’s method makes sense to me – and I plan to be more systematic  and deliberate with my own writing.

 

We all have our different language preferences. While I like the efficiency of the word “system” – I prefer the mystique of the word “ritual” 🙂  Writers often call preparing their work space with dramatic descriptions such as “preparing the altar”!

 

 

 

My wife and I have two “young” kids – and not a lot of time. One of my rituals is to wake up EVERY morning at 4:30 a.m.  and (after a coffee) dedicate “quiet time” to writing.

It’s hard. Sometimes I have trouble getting started. But the ritual of doing it every day gets me into good habits.

Sometimes, even after a coffee, I’m a bit bleary-eyed.

I follow Hemingway’s ritual of writing in the morning and editing/checking in the afternoon. (I doubt Hemingway started at 4:30 a.m.)

 

Sometimes, I make typos.

 

My latest writing ritual is to take notice of typos and to see if these “happy accidents” create new words.

 

This is my new Writual!

 

Do you  have any writing rituals?

 

Please share in the comments section below!

Here’s a link to James Clear‘s site. I look forward to learning more from his disciplined system approach.

jamesclear.com/goals-systems

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