Edwardian Writing Rituals

Edwardian authors would have a fairly strict routine when it came to penning their novels. Many of their rituals are still what experts would advise today.

An Edwardian author like Mrs. Euphemia Beaufort in Benandante would rise early and complete both her professional writing and any personal correspondence in the first 3-4 hours of the day. Starting at the beginning of your day can protect your focus. I know for me, mornings are best. I typically rise early and write for about two hours before starting my primary job. While I know mornings are not for everyone, the best advise I have received and followed is to protect your writing time and treat it like a job.

They would also take long walks (typically in the afternoon) where they could mull over the plot, gain inspiration, or in general just meditate on their story. I don’t think I consciously do this, but I have on a number of occasions talked to myself on my hour long car ride to the office discussing plot or mulling over pieces of my stories. Again, this can look different for each writer, but I think the idea is to take time to meditate on your writing.

And then there is the setup. For an Edwardian, they would have had a specific writing desk to sit at and compose. The senses would have prepared their mind for the task. If a drop-front desk, the smell of the wood upon opening it up. Perhaps leather as they opened the book as well as the smell of the ink. This is perhaps the biggest different between myself and Effie. I do not necessarily have a dedicated spot to write, though I did write much of Benandante on my bed. And while I do typically hand write my stories first, Benandante was all done on the laptop. There aren’t really any scents to a keyboard.

Maybe for my next book I will try creating an atmosphere and see if it helps my creativity.