Writing as Self Hypnosis

I read a quote from Stephen King the other day, and I agree entirely with him. He said that performing his pre-writing ritual, breakfast, and a pot of tea allows him to access his imagination as if he were in a trance. Does it work that way for everyone? I think it does. For myself, there was a time when I had to have loud rock music playing in the room or on headphones to give me a sense of rhythm and energy. Later, I switched to classical music, and now the room is mostly quiet. Does the evolution of my process mean anything? I don’t think so. Artists change over their careers, and their process changes too.

We all have our rituals to get us in the mood. While there may be a need to sacrifice some coffee beans or alcohol or drugs, legal or illegal as long as you’re not hurting anyone or anything, do it.

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