Writing Rituals with Melissa Grey

As you may know, I hosted an author event for the month of March. What ended up happening were a few personal problems that threw off my schedule. Because of this, I have a few authors who didn't get a spot for 3xAMA which is completely my fault. To make up for it, each Wednesday, I'm giving each author a spot on my blog, not associated with an event so it's all about them.

Melissa Grey is the author of The Girl At Midnight, which in my opinion, looks fan -freaking- tastic. She's also going through a tough time with her sick cat and if you want to help, please take the time to check this page out!

Any author worth their salt will probably tell you that it’s wise to abandon writing rituals once you’re contracted to write books on a deadline, but human beings are creatures of habit and sometimes it’s hard to let go. I thought I’d share some of the rituals I used when writing The Girl at Midnight with you all.

1. Panic
This is probably the most common ritual you’ll see authors engage in. Time is our enemy. Deadlines have a habit of looming. This is a part of my process, albeit the least fun one.

2. Stop panicking
This is the most important step after number 1. I tell myself to stop comparing myself to everyone else. All I can do is sit down and write my own book and let myself enjoy it.

3. Light a candle. Or two. Or twelve.
Mood lighting is very important, especially when you’re accompanied by the glare of a computer screen for months on end. I like to make my workplace atmospheric, that way when panic sets in (see step number 1), I have the nice calming scent of a dozen Yankee Candles to soothe me.

4. Moisturize
I have a tendency to chew on my lower lip when I’m thinking and as a result, my lips get super dry. Typing in cold weather (Yay New York!) can also do a number on one’s skin. I always keep some olive oil on my desk to keep my hands nice and soft. My computer keys are maybe greasier than they should be but hey, it’s effective.

5. Get distracted by my cat
I can’t help it, she’s super cute. I let myself indulge in adorable feline shenanigans for five minutes tops, then it’s back to work.

You’ll notice that none of these steps have anything to do with writing (directly anyway). That’s okay. What I’ve learned is that shackling yourself to rituals can make it hard to write when conditions aren’t optimal. Every now and then I like to engage in some silly ones while keeping in mind that it’s my job to write anywhere, anytime.

I've never thought of authors having writing rituals before, which now seems super clear. I know that a lot of musicians have pre-show rituals which makes total sense for it to apply to authors!

Melissa's Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter | Website

Melissa Grey penned her first short story at the age of twelve and hasn't stopped writing since. As an undergrad at Yale, she learned how ride a horse and shoot a bow and arrow at the same time, but hasn't had much use for that skill since graduating in 2008.

Her debut novel, THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT, will be published by Delacorte/Random House in spring 2015.

To learn more about Melissa, visit melissa-grey.com and follow her on Twitter @meligrey.