Writers are a fickle folk. We know that, the Sun knows that, everyone knows that.

Writers like to have a very specific system for their routine, a polished structure to things, and just as much, they like to have the control of completely overthrowing that very system when the equally fickle Muse comes knocking for trouble.

If you’re a writer looking for tips and tricks, or if you’re simply curious about how the magic happens in a writer’s head, here’s how.

My routine depends entirely on each project I’m working on. No two are the same. I read once about magical correspondences which made me realize I unconsciously apply the same principles to my writing. What does this mean? It’s simple, really! It’s all about symbols, motifs, associations, imagery, all of the various elements that inspire you to continue writing the story, inspire you to get into the Zone specifically for that fictional world you’re working on. Essentially, you combine all of these elements and watch how it weaves into the most beautiful tapestry of your book.

For Arcanum of Thorns, these themes have always been clear. If I haven’t written for a while, it helps to merely meditate over them, visualize the imagery of the landscapes while listening to music and re-narrating the latest scenes to ease into the flow.

Themes:

• Imagery of dark forests, mist, mountains.
• The colors poison-green, black and gold.
• Dark ambient music, neoclassical, shoegazer, doom metal; bands like Arcana, Lycia, Type O Negative, Loreena McKennit, Albannach, etc.
• The chiaroscuro effect of contrasts, both literally and metaphorically.
• Mythology, fairies, otherworlds.
• All of these things and more…

And so, whenever I need a recipe for getting back in the Zone™, I follow a simple routine that basically activates all the senses to attune to whatever mood applies for my book, so that it is like a meditative state where I step into my own world.

Process:

• Timeframe – between evening and late morning, as long as it is dark outside. I just work best at night – my mind feels freed of the constraints of daily routine, of mundane admin tasks, or any sense of time.
• Peak comfort – In bed, of course.
• Sound – Headphones in, music on, instantly getting me into the right mood.
• Visual – Drawings, paintings and sketchbooks beside me filled with notes, snippets and sketches, all of which inspire me and constantly give me new ideas in an endless loop.
• Scent – Homemade woodsy-spicy perfume (called Deodar, by the way … ha), or Forest/Pine/Rainforest incense. At this point I have used certain incense sticks so many times during writing that it is almost a Pavlov effect to relax and let the words flow when I feel them in the air.
• Lucky charms – Whether it’s my fairy lights, green lava lamp, or green crystals (malachite, prehnite, aventurine, agate), I associate them with creativity and overall the mood of AOT. Whenever I use them, it just brings an extra dose of inspiration.

Lastly, if these don’t work to get me out of a ‘writer’s hibernation’ (since I don’t believe in the existence or usefulness of the term ‘writer’s block’), then a few additional steps always do the trick, and these definitely are more general instead of subjective like the above.

Useful tips:

• Watching new fantasy/sci-fi movies and TV shows. Being inspired by the visuals, the story, the relationships and bonds within them, the themes and connections, the message, the music. This tip is so incredibly useful. Watching new, engaging TV shows always gives me a fresh recharge of themes, narratives, ideas. It can kickstart a droll imagination or unravel a writer’s block from top to bottom simply by its power of getting the creative juices flowing.
• Reading new fantasy/sci-fi, romance, etc. books. Falling in love with new characters, rooting for their victory, discovering new worlds, daydreaming against the vanilla-scented pages until the splatters of ink fade away and only a new exciting story unfolds.
• Going to a live concert; the loud and passionate performance, the crowds and exciting energy is always refreshing exhilarating, jolting one of out of their mundane patterns of thought or routine.
• Traveling, roadtrips, hiking; exploring new places, new valleys and forests and mountains. There is nothing like strolling through forests in the evening while daydreaming of all the infinite worlds waiting at the tip of your fingers.