The Superstitious Writer
By Therese Walsh | February 15, 2011 |
I didn’t consider myself as an overly superstitious person, but when Larramie at The Diving Wand recently asked me about writing superstitions, I had a Come-to-Jesus moment.
“Your book is going to hit the lists, I just know it,” I’ll say to an author friend. Then knock on wood.
I wear lucky rings.
I have lucky pencils (Focus #2 natural wood for The Last Will of Moira Leahy; Dixon Tri-Conderoga #2 in soft-touch black and with a sort of funky triangular shape for my work-in-progress).
When I needed to write my second book but couldn’t seem to get the first one out of my head, I not only remodeled my shabby office, I burned sage on the concrete floor before the new carpet went down. This was my sister’s idea, but still, I was all for getting rid of the ghosts.
So, yeah, okay. I’m superstitious.
Maybe I lean on superstitions because I need them in my life, because I rely on the mysterious writers’ underground—the subconscious and unconscious minds—to help guide my story, plumb its depths. And depending on anything so unknowable freaks me out. Thus, the pencils, and the rings.
Tangent here, but I have to tell you just a bit about the rings. 
The ring I wear now draws a lot of comments; it’s a silver sunshine with a hollowed-out middle. When I saw it, I knew I had to have it because it was so perfect; one of my story’s main characters lost her central vision by staring at the sun. I feel like wearing the ring grounds me in the story, marries me to it, helps me to dream about it, solve its many problems. When I was writing Last Will, I often wore an antique ring—something I imagined the book’s antique dealer might’ve sold. I could only wear it occasionally because it would turn my finger green if I wore it all of the time. (Ha!) But after I finished writing Last Will, to honor the six-year journey, I bought a one-of-a-kind ring with etched waves that reminded me of the water themes in the book. If you’ve read the book, or heard me talk about it enough times, you know there’s a Javanese keris in the story—a wavy bladed dagger. The dagger in my book had twelve waves. So did the ring, as it turns out, though it wasn’t anything I noticed at first; I learned that after it was already on my finger. Stuff like that only feeds my superstitious nature. It’s like me and The Other have a deal. I believe, and in return I get these little gifts that say Thanks for playing, glad you’re one of us.
Author José Bergamín Gutiérrez said that “A belief which leaves no place for doubt is not a belief; it is a superstition.”
I believe in my abilities as a writer–even ringless and writing with the wrong pencil–but maybe José has it exactly right. Superstitions can strip away the doubt and make us feel invincible; they can act as the leotard, cape, and shiny belt in a writer’s closet. And so what’s wrong with that? I look good in a cape. I think.
Are you a superstitious writer? What are your superstitions? Write on!
Photos courtesy Artotem and Sundance
Therese Walsh (she/her) co-founded Writer Unboxed in 2006 and is the site’s editorial director. She was the editor of WU’s only book, Author in Progress, and runs the Writer Unboxed UnConference.
Her second novel, The Moon Sisters, received starred reviews and was named one of the best books of the year by Library Journal and Book Riot.
Learn more about Therese on her website, and sign up for her newsletter to be among the first to hear about any new projects.
I like to think of it as a ritual rather than a supersition. And like the Shaman of the Khoisan people needed rituals to take them from this world into teh world of trance where they made contact with their gods, I need my rituals to take me from this busy real world into the world on my muse.
So whether you wear a (very pretty) lucky ring or, like me, light incense before every writing session, what harm is there in having a ritual that helps a writer transcend into another world?
Judy (South Africa)
PS Sorry for all the typos – but (ouch!) had dental surgery this morning and should be in bed! (but playing in the computer while Husband is away)
Judy (South Africa)
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You are too cute! You’re right about needing that extra boost of “invincibility” from time to time. I might just have to give this superstition thing a try.
I’m not sure if it’s a superstition, but when I lose something I say a prayer to St. Anthony–and it works!
Donna V.
https://donnasbookpub.blogspot.com
Maybe it was superstition that caused Isaac Bashevis Singer to use the same Underwood portable typewriter for more than forty years. He said, “If this typewriter doesn’t like a story, it refuses to work,” he said. “I don’t get a man to correct it since I know if I get a good idea the machine will make peace with me again. I don’t believe my own words saying this, but I’ve had the experience so many times that I’m really astonished. But the typewriter is 42 years old. It should have some literary experience, it should have a mind of its own.”
LOVE the ring!
My superstitions are: fingercrossing; using only bic disposable pencils, and pretending it doesn’t really matter what the outcome is as long as I’m happy.
I love your rings!
I am not a superstitious writer, although I do have some personal beliefs about karma and jinxing in general. For example, I do knock on wood. Less than I used to, but still. For writing, though, I don’t–or at least I try not to–worry about anything outside of the page. I get the best work done when it’s just me and the words.
But what’s awesome about writing is that everyone works differently, so I love reading about your pencils, and your rings, and your burning sage. :-)
Guess I’m the maverick in the bunch, or maybe it’s a man thing. Don’t have any writing superstitions.
Of course, when I was pitching semi-pro baseball, I never stepped on the foul line going onto or off the field, always wore the same T-shirt under my uniform top, and never wanted my teammates to mention I was pitching a no-hitter until a batter broke it up (usually by the second or third inning). But those weren’t superstitions…just baseball traditions. : )
Well…I DO pray a lot when I’m writing (I pray for inspiration, pray that I can remember my dreams…pray that someone else will think to unload the dishwasher). I’m not much for superstitions; however, I’m thinking I need to change that because I DO like jewelry.
(And my birthday is in September)
I’m not superstitious at all. Oh, well, I guess I did bring a particular scarf that’s tied to my manuscript with me recently to a workshop where a large chunk of my ms was being critiqued…
Great post. :)
I was similarly inspired for a recent post by this line in Stevie Wonder’s song “Superstition”: “When you believe in things that you don’t understand”.
There is a lot of magic and alchemy involved in writing, creating something tangible from the bits and pieces spinning through our brains. So I’m a proponent of whatever it takes to get those words onto the page, including superstition, faith, rituals, pleading with the muse. LOL
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Hmm, was that Fortune Cookie — inspiring you to write The Last Will — a superstition too….or something else? ;)
Gorgeous ring! :) I like Donna’s comment re: Stevie Wonder’s lyric — believing in things we don’t understand. At this point, most of my writing is an act of faith. I’ve tried plotting things within an inch of its life, only to have it blow up in my face. I think that superstition reinforces the need to trust the process, no matter how weird it seems.
I always begin my writing day with a creative visualization where I “meet” with my muses– who have been hard at work on my project. It actively engages my creative flow.
Okay, I’m a big freak about this kind of stuff. It’s something I’ve learned about myself on my writing journey. I shivered a little when I read about the twelve waves on the ring and Keris.
Beautiful ring. I have a ring too, with the image of the emperor Nero, on my desk; along with a bunch of ancient Roman coins, found or purhased by my deceased father-in-law. I also have an amulet fashioned in the shape of Thor’s hammer (I have to counter-balance the Roman stuff – I have both Germanic and Roman characters in my novels). I also have swords, pottery, gifts from readers, and my family’s original Webster’s Dictionary – circa 1948 and falling apart – all in my cluttered little office.
I’m with you, Therese – I ‘could’ write without them (I think…no I’m sure of it), but why should I when they make me feel so connected to the past?
Therese,
I have my special fortune cookie slip (I believe you once got the same one?) that says “You are a lover of words. Some day you will write a book,” on my board where I can stare at it while I’m working!
It’s my little talisman.
Love the 12 of the ring…when things align that way, it’s all pointing in the right direction. I have heard wonderful stories about the ways authors decide upon their characters names. I don’t have any talismans, but I am keeping my eye out for a necklace with an antique key.
I don’t know if I’m superstitious, but certainly a little OCD. I write best when I have my coffee in my favorite mug, my Chopin, and my Hemingway picture staring at me.
I try to break these habits, however, because I don’t always have the time or ability to make the perfect writing scenario, and I have to be able to write anytime, anywhere.
I really enjoyed this post, and I LOVE the ring.
Judy, no harm at all. I don’t really have any rituals, unless you can count stalling. ;-) I hope you feel better soon.
Lydia, let me know how it works for you!
James, I LOVE Singer’s story. Thank you for sharing.
Kath, pretending, hrm? New insights noted.
Thanks, Kristan!
Richard, whatever you have to tell yourself, you maverick.
Anne, September birthday here, too. What day? I’m the 16th. Virgo, which my sister says explains a lot. I don’t know what she means.
Tracy, sounds like a worthy lucky charm to me.
Donna, love the lyrics, and I agree with you about writing alchemy…and muse pleading.
Larramie, that slip felt like a shove of encouragement, for sure. It fed my confidence in a strange way. (See there, the Fortune Cookie Gods know I can do it…)
Cathy, I’m the same way with plotting; if I do too much it shuts down my ability to write.
Cindy, I like that! This sounds a lot like Barbara Samuel and her conferences with her Girls in the Basement.
Vaughn, it was a friend who suggested I count the waves, and I could hardly believe when I realized there were 12. Thanks for sharing about your relics!
Rosemary, that was exactly my fortune: You are a lover of words. One day you will write a book. It faded and/or disappeared on me recently, but you’ll be happy to know I can vouch for its potency. :-)
Nichole, I really believe that about signs. I have mountains of Sign Stories.
Thanks, Erika. Caffeine in a fave mug is something I can identify with, too. And your scenario sounds inspiring.
I, too, prefer to call it a ritual. I like wearing a particular necklace each time I sit to write, and I prefer to use my regular computer. After my recent surgery (for my new bionic hip ;-) I had to use my laptop in the bedroom. I had to struggle for the words. Now I’m back in our home office and the words are flowing again.
I do believe in signs and I love my cork board with the photos of the people I’ve chosen as my muses & inspiration. I took a photo, of the collage of photos, with my iPhone – it’s just not the same. Oh yes, and my desk is Feng Shui-ed. I’ve taught how to smudge/sage for years, and I love burning a candle or incense. And just wanted to mention – I think your ring is wonderful! Great energy!
You know, I can be a bit ritualistic in the rest of my life and I certainly pray a lot, but I try to avoid having any superstitions in regard to writing. I fear getting stuck in a mindset and unable to write if for some reason I can’t fulfill the ritual, so much so that I’ll write at different times when possible just so I don’t find myself able to write at only one specific time. If I had to have a particular object near or on me, and then one day didn’t, I think that would hamper me more than having that object would help any other day.
superstition feeds my imagination so I loved this post. (your ring is gorgeous–I have a weakness for rings too).
I don’t have any writing rituals, but when I do find something that I love, I stick with it. (like a certain pencil or pen that writes better than others. it’s always sad when you can’t find another one just like it.)
thanks for an enjoyable read!
I am supertitious too so I completely understand. But then I did work in Hollywood (as in entertainment industry) which may possibly be rivaled only by Baseball in it’s belief in the power of superstitions, lol! Some of those include “Things (usually celeb deaths) happen in threes” and “Mimosas for breakfast!”–oh right, that second one was just the Tuesday morning office ritual (all right it was any day of the week ritual) and of course I fit right in there. My particular superstition is not talking about a project until it’s completed and out there for the world to see–I’m not about to JINX anything anywhere at any time. So I’m squeamish when FB’er’s ask me to post about any WIPS or upcoming releases–I try to get as general as I can when I do. While I don’t burn sage and I’m hopelessly inept at Feng Shui, I do have lucky turquise rings, earrings and perfumes! Oh, great, now I just blabbed about those! They probably won’t work any more! Well, I’ll just have to find some new lucky things–hey, yeah, shopping for more “lucky” jewelry and perfume–how can anything go wrong…
So funny, and I can so relate!
I am a very sensible person, but I’ll swear by knocking on wood as a life plan. I’ve also found great success with the “close my eyes and hope it goes away” approach. And you didn’t mention picking up pennies–only if they’re heads up of course. (Here’s a tip: if they’re tails up, turn them over so the NEXT person has good luck!! Karma, right?) If you happen to find a tail’s up penny in your house, and you don’t want to leave it collecting dust on the floor forever, here’s an idea I recently devised: take it with you on your next car trip. Drive exactly .7 miles (it’s a lucky number, ok?) then roll down the window and fling it out. Hopefully it will land heads up for the next poor unlucky schmuck who comes along. I really did this. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.
Thanks for a fun read to start the day!! Julia
I don’t know if I’m superstitious, but I know how I am with nature and about certain objects or things in nature, so maybe it’s a kind of “superstitious”
Love love that ring!
PS – also love the new look of the blog!
Thanks, Engrid! (I have a healthy plant on my desk, too. Feels like a good thing. Thriving begets thriving, right?)
Kristin, it sounds like you’re superstitious about rituals! ;-)
Sarah, thanks! I know what you mean about fave pens.
P.I., I like the way you think.
Julia, that is beyond awesome. That’s for starting my day with a big smile!
Thanks, Kathryn! We’re still tweaking the sidebars, but it should be done-done soon. Knock on wood.
Most of the jewelry I wear is chosen for the talismanic appropriateness for the occasion (oh, and if it’s a gold or white gold day.) I have the rings that are the ‘I got an agent!” rings (and a mug specific to that occasion.) My mother’s necklace is for some readings, my grandmother’s only piece of jewelry for others. I can’t put anything on without counting the correct connection for the day.
Jewelry. Mugs. Pens. Notebooks. The list is endless. Nice to know I’m not alone in my talismanic craziness.
I have always been a superstitious person, and am so glad to know that other writers feel as I do. I write with a picture of my daddy on my desk. He is on my couch, and if he were in the exact spot today, he’d be looking at me as I write. I cannot write without him here, watching over me, reminding me of why I rewrote my own life after he lost his.
After I left my desk-jockey sixty-hour job, I came home with my corporate life in a box, and a dead plant. I looked at this dead plant for a week, and finally spoke to it, and offered it a drink. Two years later, the plant is thriving, and occasionally I still speak to it, and tell it, “I know. This is where you belong. It’s where I belong, too.”
Have to add that I love this site! Keep up the good work, and the new look is terrific. As is the ring. Absolutely fabulous.
I read this yesterday but had to think about it, and you know, beyond Kathleen’s trick of pretending it doesn’t matter when it does, I don’t think I have rituals or superstitions. Maybe that’s my problem, huh?
Love the ring, though!
The month I started querying agents I got a fortune cookie that said “Your dearest dream will come true.”
I guess you could say I’m superstitious when it works in my favor ;)
I’m also kind of big on not jinxing things and not announcing them too soon. So for a long time I didn’t talk about my novel until I’d actually finished it, and I didn’t tell anyone I was querying agents until I had one, and I probably won’t tell people when my book goes on submission until…(crosses fingers!) Okay, there goes that superstition again!
Ultra-fine black Sharpie pens. That is all (I’m going to confess to). Great post–happy writing, all!
ha! Great post. And the new site looks FABULOUS!!!
I love the rings and the sage! I’m also struck by the lyrics Donna Cummings mentions above — believing in something we don’t understand. I think that sums up my writing — the simple, and sometimes agonizing, faith that I’ll get there, word by word, eventually.
I usually have to dive into writing like spinning on a dime, inside the moments I can steal from my kids! My desk is more than a little cluttered lately, but it has a lot of objects that exude some sort of calm for me, including a postcard from the island of Santorini — brilliant blue and white. Transporting.