Thriller Author Stacey Carroll
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Make Space for Joy: How a Writing Ritual Can Transform Your Creative Practice

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Published: 27 June 2025
Hits: 368

 

Is Writing Starting to Feel Like a Chore?

You love writing — or at least, you used to.

But lately, showing up to the page feels like something you “should” do, not something you look forward to. You sit down, open the doc, and immediately feel scattered, blocked, or overwhelmed.

What if the problem isn’t your discipline, your talent, or your motivation?
What if the missing piece is something much smaller — and much more joyful?

👉 What if you need a ritual?

Why Writing Rituals Work (Even If You Only Have 10 Minutes)

A writing ritual is not about being fancy or aesthetic (unless you want it to be).
It’s about building a reliable bridge into your creative self.

Rituals work because they help you:

  • Shift out of reactive mode and into focused flow
  • Tell your brain it’s safe to play, explore, and create
  • Build consistency without willpower alone
  • Make writing something you enjoy, not just endure

Even the simplest ritual — lighting a candle, putting on a playlist, opening a dedicated notebook — can train your mind to say, “It’s time to write.”

Your Ritual Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect — It Just Has to Be Yours

Forget the rules. You don’t need:

  • A Pinterest-worthy desk
  • A full hour of solitude
  • Total silence or perfect focus

You need 3 things:

  1. A signal that tells your brain it’s writing time
  2. A repeatable process that feels grounding or joyful
  3. A safe space, physical or emotional, where you can show up without judgment

Ideas to Start Building Your Own Writing Ritual

Here are some simple elements you can combine and customize:

⏰ Time-Based Anchors

  • Set a 10–15 minute writing timer
  • Begin after a specific cue (morning coffee, end of workday, etc.)
  • Use a recurring calendar block, even if small

🧘 Physical & Sensory Cues

  • Light a candle or incense
  • Put on “writing socks” or a specific hoodie
  • Choose a sound: lo-fi beats, rain, ambient café noise
  • Use a special notebook or mug you only touch when writing

✍️ Emotional/Intentional Rituals

  • Set a micro-intention like: “I don’t have to write well — I just have to write”
  • Write a short warm-up prompt or journal entry
  • Say a phrase aloud: “This time is mine.”
  • Pet your cat and say, “Protect the writing zone.” (100% valid.)

Want more inspiration? Check out the Writing Ritual Ideas List to start mixing and matching.

A Ritual Isn’t Meant to Impress — It’s Meant to Welcome You In

Your ritual should feel like an invitation, not an obligation.

Some days, it might be elaborate and cozy. Other days, it’s just opening a notebook and breathing for ten seconds. Both are valid. Both can carry you into your creative zone.

If writing has started to feel like pressure, structure it around comfort.
If writing has started to feel dull, structure it around play.

Let the ritual meet you where you are — and help you move forward with joy.

Final Thought

You don’t need more time.
You don’t need more talent.
You just need a gentle doorway back into your writing self — and a ritual is how you build it.

So go ahead: light the candle. Open the document. Put on your weird writing playlist.
And start writing like it’s something you love — because it is.

Follow Your Curiosity: Let's Dive Deeper into Finding Your Curiosity

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Published: 20 June 2025
Hits: 448

You’ve broken the rules. You’ve tossed out “show don’t tell,” let adverbs run wild, and ignored your inner editor for the first time in ages. So what now?

Now, you go even deeper.

Day 3 of our 5 Days to Embrace Your Writing Joy is about leaving perfectionism behind and learning to chase curiosity instead. Because joy isn’t found in flawless prose — it’s found in the questions that won’t leave you alone.

Read more: Follow Your Curiosity: Let's Dive Deeper into Finding Your Curiosity

Follow Your Curiosity: The Antidote to Writing Perfectionism

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Published: 20 June 2025
Hits: 356

Introduction: The Trap of Trying to Get It “Right”

So many writers get stuck because they’re trying to write something good. Something worthy. Something publishable. They revise before they finish a sentence. They stop mid-draft because it’s not “working.” They judge every word as it comes out.

That mindset? It kills creativity.

Instead of writing with wonder, they write with fear.
Instead of discovery, they focus on control.

But here’s the secret to writing with joy again:
👉 Follow your curiosity.

Read more: Follow Your Curiosity: The Antidote to Writing Perfectionism

Embrace the Chaos: How to Write Wild and Break Perfectionism’s Grip

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Published: 14 June 2025
Hits: 721
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Introduction: The Prison of the Perfect Page

You sit down to write and… nothing feels good enough.

You delete more than you type. You second-guess every sentence. You rework that opening line again and convince yourself you’re not ready. Or talented. Or inspired.

Sound familiar?

That’s not laziness. That’s perfectionism—a subtle, ruthless form of self-sabotage that many intermediate writers face as their skills improve and their standards rise.

But here’s the cure: writing wild.

This guide is about ditching control, embracing chaos, and rediscovering creative freedom by intentionally writing messy, wrong, bold, and imperfect on purpose.

Read more: Embrace the Chaos: How to Write Wild and Break Perfectionism’s Grip

Innovative and Creative Ways Writers Can Overcome Writer’s Block

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Published: 14 June 2025
Hits: 663

 

Introduction: Writer’s Block Is a Creative Sign—Not a Death Sentence

Even seasoned and successful writers get stuck.

But here’s the truth: Writer’s block isn’t a flaw—it’s feedback. It’s a signal from your creative mind that something needs to change. For authors who have a story or two under their belts, writer’s block is rarely about not knowing how to write. It’s about fear, fatigue, perfectionism, or burnout—and facing the creative unknown.

This long-form guide skips the cliché advice (like “just write through it”) and dives into innovative, tested, and surprisingly fun ways to move past writer’s block and get back to writing stories that matter.

Read more: Innovative and Creative Ways Writers Can Overcome Writer’s Block

  1. Writing Rules Were Made to Be Broken: How Creative Rebellion Can Transform Your Fiction
  2. Why Do You Write? Rediscovering the Heart of Your Creative Journey
  3. How to Create a Believable Plot Twist: A Guide for Intermediate Fiction Authors
  4. How to Write a Tie-In Novel: A Guide for Authors Building on Their Published Work

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