There will always be days when writing comes as a struggle. Sometimes we sit down at the computer--or with a notebook--all excited to get those words on the page, and then nothing comes. And so we sit, and we wait, and we get nothing done.
There are a few ways that I've found to combat this, and most of it has to do with mindset.
Goals and writing for yourself.
There's a funny thing that happens when we set goals. They can be super helpful, prompting us to get things done by a certain time instead of letting them stew. But when a goal becomes a writing block, it can be better to get rid of them.
A lot of writers (including myself) benefit from having word count goals while drafting. For me, it helps to keep my story on track. Since I'm generally working on multiple projects at once, I need to be organized.
That being said, just last week, I was so stressed out over the idea of taking a break. I was thinking that I couldn't take the day off because then I wouldn't finish my revision on time. And then I realized: no one was holding me to that date.
If I finished the revision two days over, no one was going to yell at me. No one was going to be disappointed. Since I'm not on contract, there was literally no one that I could let down by allowing myself to rest.
I find that, when the goals become a hindrance, I get rid of them. I stop thinking about what I have to do, and start focusing on what I want to do. Even if that means working on a totally different project. Even if that means setting my goals aside.
Once I have that free mindset--that I can write if I want to, but I don't have to--it tends to get open up my creative brain again.
This won't always be possible, but right now it is.
And the biggest point of this is the reminder that we write because we love it. We write because if we don't, it feels like something is missing. So write the stories that you want to tell in your own timeline.
Motivation.
I can't remember where I read it, but I came across an article talking about how we often think of motivation as the thing that gets us going. But this is inaccurate.
Motivation is the thing that keeps us going. When we're already on a writing-roll, or we already have that idea, we want to complete it. That's motivation. We have the drive to keep working.
But that's not what starts us out. We often need a catalyst. Something that will give us a little push in the right direction so that we can gain the motivation to keep going.
I am a prime example of Newton's first law of motion: objects at rest stay at rest and objects in motion stay in motion. If I'm writing (drafting, revising, outlining, etc.), I have no problem maintaining that trajectory. But if I stop, for whatever reason, it is very hard for me to get back on track.
In my final semester of college, I had to put my book down because I didn't have the mental energy to work on it. That meant I didn't do any writing at all for almost five months. And coming out of that was really hard.
For me, it was all about finding the catalyst. Finding that one project that I was excited to work on to get me moving again. And once I did, I had the motivation to go back to my first book.
Fear and imposter syndrome.
This is so real. For a lot of people, but I think it's especially evident for writers. Even V.E. Schwab talks about how many would consider her a "successful" author, and yet she still struggles with the idea that she doesn't know what she's doing.
I don't have much to say to this, except that it's okay. I've been there. We are not alone in thinking this. And sometimes, that thought alone is enough to keep us going.
But if it's not, I find looking back at my portfolio helpful. The books I've written may not be great, they may not go anywhere, but I wrote them. I did. And that means that I can do it again. Even if it's not the most conventional way to get to "The End," words on a page will eventually equal a finished book.
I'm not writing for recognition--yes, I'm sure we all hope that people will read our words and fall in love--but ultimately I'm writing simply because I love to tell stories. This isn't about how things will be perceived. I'm filling my creative well, for me.
Get the words on the page.
First drafts suck. It's a well known fact. I often run into the problem of not having a fully formed scene while drafting. I can't picture where it's taking place, who all is there, or why the scene is even happening, but I can write words.
The third book I wrote was a struggle. Each scene felt bland and uninspired, but I loved the story and I loved the characters and I knew I just needed it to be written.
I've mentioned it before, but drafting is actually one of my least favourite steps of writing a book. For me, I just need the first draft completed so I can go back and rewrite, so I can see what's missing and what's not.
I don't think about the quality of the words, or how I'll probably delete an entire day's worth of words, I just get the words on the page.
*Note: I do work from an outline, so I have a solid trajectory of where the story is going, but that doesn't mean I have every minute detail planned out.
Park on a downhill.
A friend said this to me once, and it resonated. The idea is that you stop where it's easy to pick up and go again. Right now, I'm drafting, and at the end of each day, instead of just saving and closing, I make a note of the next 3-4 scenes I plan to write when I reopen the document.
This is just a small way that I can keep myself going (object in motion, right?). It helps me to dive right into that creative well as soon as I sit down to work.
I'll do the same with revisions, of noting what I want accomplished and what I need to do to get there. I don't hold too closely to these things, but it's the catalyst that's jumpstarts my motivation every day.
Set the stage.
A little music never hurt anyone (except when it did). I don't write to music generally, but there have been a few projects where a song just spoke to the story so deeply I had to write to it. It kept the words coming. I'm actually doing that right now with my Scots-Viking inspired book.
The point here is to set yourself up in an atmosphere that is conducive to the story. Whether that means writing at a desk, in the great outdoors, in a coffee shop. With music, without music. Anything that sets you in that place where envisioning those scenes feels like just a breath away.
Know yourself.
But sometimes, that not-wanting-to-write feeling means that we just need a break.
I'm an organized, detail-oriented person, and that means I plan out everything. When drafting, I'll divide my first draft word count goal by the number of words I average per day, so that I know when I'll be finished. I do the same thing with revisions (how many chapters do I need to revise per day to be done by X day?).
This method helps keep me on track so that I have something to work on every work day. I don't get stuck in the unknown of trying to choose each morning. And that's a big reason why I can keep such a consistent daily, weekly, and monthly schedule. This method will definitely not work for everyone. But since I typically stick to those schedules pretty closely, it means that I also plan my breaks.
I'm very protective of my weekends. I pretty much never touch writing Sat/Sun unless I'm feeling particularly creative--but this is not really "work" because I'm just fiddling around.
I also listen to my body (albeit reluctantly, like last week) when it says I need to take some time off.
These tips are just a few things that I've found helpful to keep me going, but please know your limits. Don't try these things just to push yourself. If you need a rest, take the rest.
This suggestions are more for the times when we know we should be working, but it just feels like there's something in the way. And they won't always be helpful. Sometimes our brains just refuse to cooperate.
But I hope that there's at least a little in here to keep you in motion.
Happy writing,
Erin
PS For more tips you can check out my post on Fighting Writer's Block.
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