How to romanticize your writing life

There are times in my writing life when I feel like I’m Jo March, or Jane Austen. Not all the time (at all!) but there are certainly moments.

I don’t want to jump on the whole “main character moment” trend too quickly, as I’m not completely on board. I do think that there are special moments in life that feel like we are a main character out of a movie or book, but I don’t think it’s just about us. I believe by turning our attention off ourselves, and onto others and God, we can truly experience far more magic in life than if we just focus on ourselves and our lives.

But with that said. Let’s talk about romanticizing our writing lives, for I do think beauty and romance play a beautiful part in life (writing life included).

Let’s start with why our writing lives might not feel romantic, or special.

I certainly feel less light and joyful when writing at times when it has become work. Of course there’s times when we need to get down to business and get things done. But I do think it needs to be more than putting words down on a page. The days when I am just forcing my way through scenes, slamming the words down because they “need to get written” – those are the days that feel like a drag.

Maybe this is because every time you sit down to write you are tired, or frustrated, or distracted.

Writing is a beautiful art, and to turn it into a slog ruins the beauty of it. There will certainly be days when we are struggling, and we carry on through the lack of inspiration and “magic”. It’s not all about how we feel writing.

So how to keep it as the sacred, beautiful thing it is?

We need to grow a respect for what we are creating. If we don’t believe what we are writing is important or beautiful, why would it be a romantic experience writing it? The truth is, your writing matters, and your ideas have the power to change the world for better. Once we look at our writing with awe and wonder, the romance almost happens naturally.

Perhaps we need to ease out of the day and into our writing smoothly. Maybe a little buffer time could help.

As you set up your computer and get ready to write, what is it that’s going to stop you from letting go of the rest of life, and commit to enjoying the process? If there’s a hundred things buzzing through your head, things to do, places you need to remember to go – try grabbing a piece of paper and writing them down. That way, you don’t need to keep worrying to remember anything, or be anywhere. Your thoughts can live safely on that piece of paper till you are ready to return. Or maybe you are just worn out from the day, you feel exhausted and going straight into writing just feels like another thing to get done. Go take a shower or bath first, make some nice tea, get into some comfy clean clothes. Prepare for the joy of writing in whatever way will help you cast off what’s holding you back.

What about while you’re writing?

The romance of writing is, well, writing! So how can you create a romantic and beautiful experience every time you write?

Atmosphere can play a huge part. Are you in a clean and tidy space? Would you enjoy some flowers on the desk? A candle burning next to you? A window open so the soft sounds of outside can be carried into the room? If there’s anything that might help elevate your atmosphere, have that thing ready for writing times.

For me, I enjoy having a window open while I write, nature is so inspiring and calming to me, so, because I live in t he countryside, this is a perfect way to beautify my time. Another thing I enjoy (in winter especially) is a tea with honey in it to sip on. It creates a reason for little pauses in writing, pauses that aren’t going to distract me. Another sneaky addition for me is something to snack on. I’m bit of a foodie, so having it there to nibble at adds that little something. (I recall the time I made a huge bowl of popcorn and ate the entire thing while writing)!

Maybe there’s some accessory you’d find fun to have while you write. I watched one version of Little Women when I was younger, and in it Jo March (who is the writer of the family) always wore this specific hat while writing. I took it upon myself at that time to also wear a particular hat. So I would put on this black hat with velvety trimmings, and write my book like that. It was almost like saying, “I’m wearing the author hat, I’m now Author Nika”. Obviously you could customize this to anything you like, maybe a scarf, or lacy gloves, perhaps a specific kind of glasses.

Music could be a wonderful addition to your writing time. Especially if you live in a noisy environment, this could create the calm you need to focus. The first ever novel I wrote, I only listened to classical music (because that’s all that was downloaded on my parent’s old computer). It was so romantic and suited the period drama book perfectly. Create a special playlist for your book and play it in the background as you write. I am always going through phases of listening to music, and then just enjoying the quiet. If you have a difficult time getting in the zone, tho could really help! (I find soundtrack music especially good at this)!

There’s so many ways to romanticize your writing life, I’ll list together some of my ideas below (some of which I’ve already mentioned above).

Ways to romanticize your writing life

• Put flowers on your desk
• Open a window
• Listen to music in the background
• Sip tea while writing
• Wear something nice (maybe in theme with your book)
• Customize your writing software (if possible)
• Pretend you are a famous author
• Write in a different location than normal
• Read some of your work aloud (not too much that you want to start editing it!)
• Write with a friend
• Write early in the morning or late at night

I hope you have found some new ideas on how to romanticize your writing life and make it beautiful. Share your favourite idea or tip in the comments!