What is your writing ritual?

I've never thought about this much before but I guess a quiet place to think. I also prefer more to write with a pen than type it down. However, recently I've been using my laptop more. I installed a typewriter app and that has been a nice experience for free writing. I like the sound of the keys and it does the whole no erasures shenanigans. 

@Wayne What is the typewriter app called? 

@Starbreaker Sounds like you have a great support team! What is on your playlist?

I have to write with film scores (pretty much anything by Thomas Newman, with occasional appearances by Alexandre Desplat)/instrumental music (i.e., various entries in the Final Fantasy video game series, or any of those 8-hour-long, coffeehouse-type-ambiance compilations you see on YouTube, etc.) in the background—it helps get me into the zone, so to speak, increases my focus. But if there are words in the music, forget it—all my concentration goes immediately to the words! 

 I usually start up at night or later in the day. I get a drink- hot cocoa or a soda- and I turn on my grow light that I also use as a desk light then I open Youtube on one half of my screen and my writing stuff on the other. I usually watch a 'let's play' (videogame playthrough) or something really chatty that I can kinda tune out. 

I usually write when im in the middle of breakdowns or when im very stressed. so i cry like a bitch and write poetry about whatever is bothering me

i usually get bombarded with inspiration a few times a year and thats when  i write my stuff in batches. if i am trying to work on my skills i will makesure my space is clean. i also need a drink to stay hydrated and backgrounded music. no distractions.

Pen + paper is my typical route, but I appreciate the efficiency of digital mediums. By the end of my writing process, I should have created at least six drafts. Each is equally important:

1 - Dumping. Disgusting, writhing words that are clumsy and awful. They're brilliant. Get them down first—quantity over quality here. 

2 - Grammar/spelling. I'm quite petty about such things for my age anyway, so it's just running over my work with a fine tooth comb. What's lacking at this stage is substance and meaning.

3 - Sentiment. This is a long one, where I'm adding in meaning and lovely words (think lexical fields and so on) that make my sentences the nicest they can sound. Of course, there's plenty more to writing than this—just the abridged version of my process for now.

4 - Grammar/spelling. Ruthless dissection, again.

5 - Characterisation. Is this a good voice/tone for the mood I'm conveying? Would this character say something like this?

6 - 'The Golden Thread'. Foreshadowing, motifs, etc.

7 - Grammar/spelling. A couple more times until I find myself happy with the work!

huge stanley cup with coffee or redbull and pull a allnighter or 2. 

pen and paper for any sort of idea then process it through google docs, print it and annotate it with pretty pens and rewrite it.

its very time consuming bu that is the only way I can do it.