A few weeks ago my son Travis said life would be more interesting if there was a soundtrack to accompany our daily goings ons.

So true.

In my case, soundtracks help the writing to move along. This morning I put on The Godfather soundtrack and got to work on my memoir.  It’s a trigger and helps to put me in the mindset of the work. It also drowns out (sorta) the sound of the tree trimmers across the street.

I also look at images. When you’re working on a memoir, even if you’re not including them in the work, images are helpful.  Images help you to remember. Here’s one such image.  My brother and me, at our grandmother’s house, long ago.

If you’re feeling stuck, try a musical ritual. It helps to play the same music for a particular project. Maybe there are a couple of CDs you like. For me, right now, it’s this Godfather soundtrack, and Yo-Yo Ma (in particular, his Bach: Prelude Cello Suite No. 1).

If you have rituals that work for you, share!