Shelley Munro

“Morning, darling.”

I smiled at my lover and sat up in our bed, propping several pillows against the headboard. Once I was comfortable, he set the breakfast tray on my knee. The fragrant scent of coffee filled the air along with the perfume from the single red rose. I slathered raspberry jam over a freshly baked croissant and took a bite. Delicious.

Half an hour later, I slid from the shower, patted myself dry and smoothed on patchouli and sandalwood body lotion. I dressed in my favorite red thong, a short black leather skirt and matching bustier, completing the outfit with boots. The spiky heels clicked a tattoo when I stepped from the bedroom. I strode down the hall to my office, pausing only to switch on a romantic selection of music suitable for lovers. Today I was a writer on a mission. I sat down in front of my computer, dressed and ready to seduce the charming and sexy spy who was attempting to steal my sapphire…

Fact or fiction?

Fiction of course! Well, it is for this erotic romance writer. I generally crawl out of bed. I dress in jeans and a T-shirt, go for a brisk walk with hubby and the dog. Mr. Munro and I have a cup of tea together, and after checking my email and correspondence, I start my writing day.

But I do have something in common with the mythical writer above.

We both have writing rituals—a routine that starts our writing day and creates a sense of time. Writing rituals are an important way of getting in the mood or warming up the subconscious and prodding it into action. Rituals vary from writer to writer. In fact some of you might think you don’t have any routines to start your writing day. But think about it. Do you play a few games of solitaire before you start writing? Do you tidy your desk at the end of a writing session? Do you have special music you like to listen to while you’re writing? These are all small rituals.

I asked some fellow writers about their writing rituals and this is what they said:

Annalise Russell starts her day early and checks her email first. After replying to the important correspondence she curls up in her favorite chair with a cup of hot coffee and her alphasmart.

Samantha Gentry also starts with coffee. She plays one or two word games such as Scrabble or Wordzap on her computer and checks her email before starting to write.

Mary Martinez starts her writing day with a biscotti and coffee. She also chooses five CDs to suit her mood and puts them on random to listen to while she writes.

If Randy Jeanne wants to have a productive writing session she starts with a hot bath and reads a book by one of her favorite authors. She says this eases her into the right mindset to write.

Jennifer Loy creates compilation CDs for each of her books. If she has a book with a bad boy hero she listens to hard rock to get into the right mood.

Chuck, who writes as Diane Charles Linford takes a few moments to look at his late wife’s pictures before he starts writing.

Cia Leah (Moon Shadow, Diskus Publishing) plays a relaxation CD, usually of rushing water or a solitude one, and likes to have a cup of hot coffee at hand. She finds the relaxation CDs enable concentration better than music.

Cassandra Curtis (Shifting Tides, Amber Heat) mentioned a chicken and a knife before she realized I meant a writing ritual! Then she confessed to wearing fluffy hot pink slippers whenever she’s writing.

Jennifer McKenzie (Singled Out, Cobblestone Press) says her writing always begins with “You guys go outside and play.” or “What’s that, honey? I’m writing.” She also likes coffee or a diet soft drink on hand.

After my extensive research into rituals I came to the conclusion coffee is very important for most writers. Email plays a big part to easing a writer into the mindset and to a lesser extent music. It’s clear, while we have some similarities in our rituals, it’s important to find a routine that works for your particular muse. If you’re having a problem settling down to write take a look at your unconscious rituals. Have you done something different and missed a step, making your muse pout and dig in his or her toes? Has your muse become stubborn because he or she dislikes the lack of ritual? Go on. Pamper your muse. Rituals really make a huge difference.

Shelley Munro writes hot and spicy romances for Ellora’s Cave. Her most recent release is Sex, Spies and Sapphires. You can visit Shelley at www.shelleymunro.com