The Strangest Writing Routines of Some Famous Writers

There was once a young writer named Maya in a small, quiet town. She had always been driven by the extent to which great writers are capable of creating powerful and unique stories. Her room was crowded with books by the greatest authors in writing styles and routines. Maya often pondered how such a thing could be that such writers would transform ideas into timeless work of art.

One day, while sitting at her desk staring at an empty notebook in front of her, Maya thought about the following idea: "What if I could find the most bizarre writing routines of those famous writers and let them inspire my journey?" Determined, Maya began researching writers' odd habits and rituals from around the world.

The first was the odd way that Franz Kafka would write his stories: during the quiet hours of the night, sitting by his window and frequently in complete darkness, because he thought writing was such a solitary, almost spiritual activity that to concentrate one had to tune out the rest of the world. One night, Maya sat in the dark with the pale light of the moon shining through her window. At first, it felt weird, but before long, her imagination began to take flight and words flowed into the page as guided by an outside force beyond her.

Then there was Haruki Murakami, who woke up at 4:00 a.m. Every day, he would have a cup of coffee, and then write on till noon. He believed in sticking to a tight routine, exercise, and jazz music, which helped him get into the right headspace. It intrigues her when she sets her alarm for 4 a.m. the next day and sticks to his routine like glue. Stillness of the hours of dawn, and the soothing rhythm of jazz filled her soul with inspiration. She felt now more closer to her writing than ever, yet it was tiring.

Then was the story of Virginia Woolf, who wrote from a chair in the garden while pacing up and down for hours before sitting at the desk. Maya, enthralled by this ritual, walked into her own backyard and started pacing with her mind going as far as it could. Eventually, she realized that walking sorted out jumbled ideas and returning to her desk helped her to clarify them.

Finally, Maya encountered the bizarre writing routine of James Joyce. James Joyce was known to sit at home for days at a stretch and stay in his room surrounded by things that kept him tethered to earth, such as a certain rock or preferred chair. His space became almost sacred to him. Maya would create her own little sacred writing space, with objects in there that comforted her-the old photographs of ancestors, her grandmother's quilt, and a teacup she'd had since childhood. But when she sat to write in this space, the words were waiting there all along for her.

She practiced these weird rituals, but she really began to understand that every writer's experience was so unique. It was unique because everyone had his inspiration and experience. Ultimately, there was no right way to write nor was there a single right routine that could be applied for guaranteeing success. The secret was embracing the weird, the eccentric, and all of the deeply personal secrets of writing that would make each story believable.

Not too long would pass before Maya understood that each day would find its own rhythm-a perfect combination of quiet mornings, late-night inspiration, and occasional walks around her neighborhood. She knew that, just like the great writers she admires, her rhythm would be just like her journey: different, yet strangely beautiful in its way.