Writer's Blog: On Rituals (Patreon)

I'm a random person. Not in the way that my junior high students used to be or the way that art films idolize (I'm no manic pixie dream girl), but establishing habits has always been difficult for me. My key never lands in the same place despite having installed a hook on the wall, milk often gets left out (or accidentally put in the pantry instead of fridge), and I forget to check my mail.

Writing a long project necessitates finding a rhythm. It requires consistent dedication and keeping a schedule, things that have never been my strong suit. Even with self-imposed deadlines, I'm not a naturally structured human being. This sounds like I'm claiming to be unnaturally structured, when I really just mean that I struggle with consistency. Making sure that Mind Blind releases on time each update is an uphill battle against my very nature, mostly because I have last-minute bursts of inspiration and can't resist rewriting entire scenes. 

When working on Mind Blind, however, I've settled into a regular pattern, as knowing that people actually anticipate reading my work is incredibly motivating. My act may usually be half on the floor and half hanging from an open window, but I do my best to get it together so as not to disappoint you guys. You keep me accountable, and I've been more productive writing-wise over this last year than ever before!

Even so, sometimes I'm simply "not feeling it." Usually because I want to work on a more exciting scene, or because I realize the current part that I'm working on will need to be eventually recoded, or am simply distracted by a newer, shinier idea (I am very excited to start Delivery for the Damned once Mind Blind is completed). This is when writing rituals help. Little touches can make the writing session feel special and get me more enthusiastic about beginning. Once I start writing, I can usually write for 8+ hours straight in a sort of trance-like hyperfocus (when I get into the zone, I move in with three suitcases).

I'd aimed to do this post as a video blog, but I need to figure out how Patreon's remote hosting works. Still, I wanted to share with you guys what a full evening of writing looks like for me. This is only my evening routine, since during daylight hours, I'm either coding/bug testing or on a park bench outside writing MB's first draft by longhand (this first draft then gets reworked into the alpha that's typed up). I've very much turned my evening writing sessions into a thing--it's not just about parking my butt on the chair and fingers on the keyboard. It's about the ambience. (Don't I sound fancy? That being said, that "ambience" involves a children's nightlight.)

Important things to know about my writing ritual: 

1) It doesn't have to be Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea, but it should be because that tea is freaking amazing. (Seriously.)

2) "Summoning the spirit of Nick" is fancy talk for "justifying late night carbs."

3) The stars float around the walls. You can't see the movement in the photo, but it's very peaceful. It's a newer addition to my routine, but I turn on the stars around 9pm, which is about five hours into my writing session and just when I'm beginning to feel distracted. The stars give me an extra boost, and I usually continue writing until 11.

4) Make sure to click on the photos for the captions if you're interested! Each item is explained.

Current Demo Length: 336k

Average Playthrough: Unknown! (Still need to code Chapter 12)

Scene that I'm currently working on: The intervention scenes! It's two chapters later than planned, but it's finally happening.