What makes a certain string of words flow in unison, sing in tune like a Sunday morning choir. Some writers or hacks like me, claim to follow a dedicated and particular writing ritual to protocol. Others will swig a glass of wine, chug the coffee, or go for a 10k run.
What they’re able to do is allow their mind to vibrate thoughts into words, and then transmit them through their fingers onto the keyboard. The words become translucent like oil separates water.
For those who are the most successful, Pulitzer prize awards for putting pen to paper, the very best of the scribes, were asked to explain the exact creative process they adhere to. This is how they do it.
Write Like Ink Skates On Paper
Not all the best writers will dare concede their particular ritual they follow, which is vital to their success. Some will admit and are aware of the activities they’ll do before they begin, much like superstition.
What they’ll admit is when they do channel their writing, it becomes so routine the so called “regimen” is no longer present at a conscious level.
The particular habits which dictates a writer’s rituals may be perceived much like protocol.
Whatever they do that has worked for them in the past, will most likely work again in the future.
So deviation isn’t an option. The habits become entrenched, then invariably the writing ensues and before they realize what’s happening, the flow becomes liquid.
Once Rituals Turn Into Routine
So is there a way to distinguish rituals and what is routine. Some will typically re-read and then revise what they wrote the following morning, what they previously wrote in a haze.
Others may become superstitious and only write at certain times of the day when they’re under the spell, using the exact same notebook or use the magical pen with the elixir powers.
Superstition appears to be the common base when the pen hits the paper.
Flowing With The Wind
Some of the routines which are used, such as locking themselves behind a door, lock and key set, securing an environment that’s completely isolated of disturbance.
Unplugging the phone, plugging in the mind and indulging in beverage motivation.
This in the obvious hopes, of doing so for the purpose of transforming into shift consciousness and away from the everyday distractions.
To silence a noisy mind into the calm of a writer’s quiet imaginative world, developing into creativity.
Such intense routines of habit have proven to make writing possible.
Become A Streaming River
Once this flow occurs with writers, drugged by soothing music and sunshine on the shoulders, the words become fluid like a tincture.
It’s like a few of the senses have suddenly become aligned with the channelling process. These senses combine in symphony with the different chemicals of the brain.
So turn on the sonata, begin humming your meditation, sip the Earl Grey iced tea, do whatever that helps you make that transformational switch from shutting out noise to letting it all out.
The Spirit Which Follows Your Way
Here’s how some will explain how flow is activated, and how they experience the transmission. This surveyed on writers, small and large, Pulitzer quality prose and hacks.
The majority are unable to describe their actual or latest writing ritual, as related to getting in tune with the flow experience.
What they do instead is describe what they think and felt is a typical writing experience, which haunts them prior to entering the zone.
What you could do, as a flashback at any time of the day, is recall the last time this feeling of fluidity occurred within.
Every time it stood out as being unique and special to the point. As time passes however, being able to distinguish the sessions may become distorted.
Although it was enjoyable every time, and memorable and easily re-callable for a while, the separate incidents become less noticeable as time passes.
Writing In The Zone
So is this the essence of flow. As the writer begins to get set into a familiar routine, they begin to slowly lose or recall the previous or particular writing sessions.
This occurs except when it comes to the especially unusual ones, the ones sparking the apex of the experiences.
These are the ones which were undertaken in a new place or time, or were inspired by something completely unusual.
Similar to sleeping and dreaming, no one quite remembers how they fell asleep or what they dreamed about five nights ago.
But what you may remember is recalling the night you stayed awake to watch the sunrise, or you remember the violent thunderstorm which woke you up, or listening to Vivaldi Sonnet 20.
That time you passed out on your friend’s sofa, that vague recollection decades ago of sleeping overnight on that park bench wrapped in someones arms.
So it’s easier and a lot more efficient to just let go, then you can use all that pent up mental energy by just thinking and planning.
This doesn’t however necessarily make sleeping, or creative writing, any less of a mysterious or valuable step. It just becomes harder to remember.