What are your writing triggers?

I read (and listened to) a book last summer that continues to stick with me — Atomic Habits by James Clear. I first borrowed the audiobook through the Libby app, but before I’d even finished listening, I ordered a physical copy because there were so many things I wanted to highlight and remember.

One idea that helped to reshape my routines is “environment triggers” — the little cues in our surroundings that prompt us to take action. For example, keeping my journal right beside my bed reminds me to write my morning pages first thing.

Places and sounds are also habit triggers. My desk is for Zoom calls, but my comfy chair is for editing. My best creative writing happens in coffee shops or other busy places where the drone of conversation and the lack of household distractions make it a little easier to focus. I can get lost in my writing almost immediately. Even when I can't get to a coffee shop, I can turn on a soundtrack for white noise and dive into the story.

Triggers are helpful because, for me, thinking about writing doesn’t work. I need the tactile sensation — tapping on keys or holding a pen — to spark my thoughts and get the words flowing.

If my journal isn’t right beside my bed in the morning, I forget all about writing my morning pages. If I don’t open my manuscript on my laptop and start typing, I have no idea where the story will go next. Those visual cues, places, sounds, and even the feel of the keys beneath my fingers remind me to get to work.

Jack London, author of The Call of the Wild, said, “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”

My “clubs” are the keyboard and coffee.

What are yours? I'd love to hear what works for you!