Train Your Brain to Write with More Ease

There are quick and simple ways to signal your brain that it’s time to engage in the writing process: writing rituals. But they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. In fact, what works today might not fit tomorrow. That’s why I encourage clients to inspire creativity and playfulness by building a "tickle trunk" of ideas to pull from; some do this literally, others figuratively.

If you want to take a literal approach, set aside 10-15 minutes to think of various rituals. Write each one on a slip of paper, fold them, and place them in a jar. Each day, your writing ritual becomes pulling an idea from the jar and doing that thing. 

Very meta, I know, but for some people, it works like a charm because it keeps things interesting not to mention it takes the pressure off to come up with an idea when you may be feeling tired or uninspired.

 

A funny phenomenon also occurs when doing this. 

If you choose a piece of paper from the ritual jar that lists something you’re not into that day, your subconscious mind will automatically reveal what you were really hoping you’d pick, so you’d do that instead.

Tricky, right? But the truth is you get to set the tone for everything. If you want it to feel playful, that’s one way you can go about it. I suspect you can think of others.

One of the rituals that has consistently served me well is using some of my favorite essential oils (a combination of clementine and peppermint) in a diffuser that emits a soft light.

I typically work on book writing activities in my office, but I also do a whole lot of other kinds of writing there. When I’m ready to work on the book, I set up the diffuser, take in a few deep breaths of the aroma, then click on the study music channel on Pandora and settle in at my desk to write. Just before I do, I pull out my Intergalactic Thinking Putty® (yes, it’s really a thing—think fun, sparkly younger cousin of Silly Putty®) and stretch it for a minute or two. This combination seems to magically activate the part of my brain that knows it’s time to sit down and write.

You’ll find what works for you, but to give you a head start on building out your bag of tricks, I’ll share some other ideas that have worked for me, clients, and other writer friends I’ve polled:

• Light a specific candle.
• Sit in a cozy spot or space.
• Slip into a soft, fuzzy sweater (kinda like Mr. Rogers at the start of each episode of his show).
• Listen to classical music or binaural beats.
• Sip tea/coffee from a special mug.
• Pray or meditate, asking your Higher Power to allow the right words to flow through you.
• Hold a pen that feels good in your hand (even if you are going to use your computer/laptop when it’s time to write).
• Pull an oracle or affirmation card.
• Do a timed free write to do a brain dump of everything on your mind other than your book.
• Go for a long walk and let ideas percolate, then go home and start writing.
• Doodle or scribble to activate the creative mind.
• Start the night before. Go to bed purposely thinking about writing.
   

Rituals can also be centered around timing and space.

Often, it’s shared that writing first thing in the morning is the sweet spot for people, and rituals are built around this as if it’s fact. But that’s not a viable solution for everyone. I’m raising my hand high as one of them. 

Occasionally I wake up inspired to write from the moment my feet hit the floor, but that’s rarely the case. Usually, I need to ease into the day, and then maybe an hour or so later, I hit my zone for writing capacity.

If your schedule is severely restricted and the only window of opportunity to write is first thing in the morning, whether you like it or not, my friend Carolyn’s ritual might work for you. It’s what she does in the evening before bed that sets her up for a successful writing session in the morning. 

She has a space tidied up and ready to go, but she also tidies her mind, feeding her subconscious thoughts about what she is going to write the next day so her mind is percolating on it behind the scenes as she sleeps. When she wakes up, she’s ready to write 99% of the time.

Sometimes going to a location outside of your normal surroundings helps—and, really, who wouldn’t want to go to that secluded cabin in the woods or peaceful lakeside retreat? But that’s generally not a realistic long-term plan. 

If you are in an area with a coffee shop or co-working space nearby that has great energy, it could be a viable option. The drive there could even act like part of your ritual, priming your mind for your arrival at your writing location.

As you look through this list, you may be able to put a big old red strikethrough on some—or many—of the ideas, but hopefully, it sparks your imagination for what may work better. 

Like the ritual jar, sometimes the way to get to what we like or what works is by first figuring out what we don’t like or what doesn’t work.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lanette Pottle

Life and business strategist turned bestselling book coach, publishing mentor, and founder of She Gets Published, Lanette Pottle, helps female coaches and entrepreneurs create books that lead to new clients, bigger stages, & more profits. Need help getting started ( or unstuck) on your book journey? Book a call with Lanette today.