On Ritual: ASF Contributors on Their Writing Routines (Today: Melissa Swantkowski)

Today, as part of a six-day series, we present our findings, from the silly to the sublime: the routines and rituals—or lack of them—of each of the following writers. . .

Stephanie Austin * Scott Garson * Amelia Gray * Matthew Salesses * Melissa Swantkowski * Josh Weil

On Ritual

Melissa Swantkowski, “How to Fall in Love,” Web Exclusive, Miss August 2009

“Creating and discarding rituals is my ritual. I can never write in the morning. So, sometimes, I vow to put 500 words on the page before going to work. I set the coffeepot to drip before my alarm goes off. Time’s up. The coffee’s cold. I think about it all day. I can never work at home. I need background noise. Please be quiet. Back at home, I clear the table, make an immaculate workspace. Delete a full page. Press Control Z to get it back. Pour a bourbon, 3 ice cubes. End up on the couch, writing begins.”

If there’s an ASF author whose rituals you’d like to hear about, comment below. We’ll report back soon.