How To Write Even When You Don't Feel Like It

 

I have been thinking about this one for a while; writing when you don’t feel like. It is the thing that separates amateur writers from professional ones. When I decided to get a job other than writing, I knew that there would be times when finding the energy to get the words on the page would be hard, but I had no idea.

I don’t think you have to write every day. I know sometimes I am thinking about the story. I am trying to figure out where to take the story, what to delete, and what to keep. What nobody will tell you is how exhausting it is to write, at least for me. Always coming up with new ideas, implementing those ideas, and then trying to write them can feel like a disappointing exercise, but enough about my problems. How to write even when you don’t feel like it?

Be Kind to Yourself

This is the one that I fail at, but if you miss a day of writing or even a week, don’t put yourself down or compare yourself to another writer, give yourself some grace. It is an emotionally taxing profession and harder than most people realize. The way to bounce back is to do it in small steps. Set up a new writing schedule and try to write five minutes a day. Don’t worry if it is good, just write. Five minutes a day is 35 minutes a week and 2 hours and 10 minutes a month. You could finish or start the beginning of a short story, essay or romance, with only five minutes a day.

Read

Another way to feel like writing when you don’t feel like it, is to read. Picking up a book and reading someone else’s words can inspire you to write. Most writers wanted to write because they love reading. If you need to read just one book or a month’s worth of books to get in the spirit of writing again then take the time to do so and let the words of another author remind you what writing can be.

It Takes Time to Write

This is something I struggle with being an indie romance author, which is that it takes time to write. There are indie romance authors that put out multiple romance stories a month, and I wonder how they do it. I write short romances and all I can manage is one every month or other month. I know I can’t be the only one? Remember it takes time to write and produce good work. There may be authors who can produce good stories quickly and it is a skill I wish I had, but many writers need time to write, revise, to think and revise again. So don’t beat yourself up if it takes you longer than a few weeks to write a story.

Conclusion

Finding the time to write is a matter of trial and error. If you must change your writing schedule more than once, don’t sweat it. Remember writing is a hard job. It may not be ditch digging or surgery, but it is a skill that takes time to get good at, and like any job it is something you won’t always want to do. Slow down and read, give yourself a break, and be kind to yourself, these things will have you writing again in no time.