Five Ways to Get the Juices Flowing When You Feel Completely Uninspired
"I hate writing, but I love having written." A quote attributed to Dorothy Parker, American poet and writer—and many other writers, actually. Self included. Truth is, I love the writing process when the inspiration is teeming with life. But when it's not, I dread trudging through the incoherent thoughts, incomplete sentences, and incessant distractions. I love writing, but I loathe priming the pump.
So how do professional writers get the juices flowing when the well seems dry? Here are five techniques to put words to paper, or screen as it were, when it's the last thing you want to do.
1—Schedule it. Create daily time or word goals.
We know writing works much like a muscle. So, train it, push it, challenge it—routinely—and writing will come more naturally to you. Many writers commit to writing two to four hours a day. Stephen King writes four hours daily, and he seems to have a pretty good thing going. My friend and writing coach methodically spends time in meditation and prayer then writes until he has met his word count goal for the day. Setting timers or meeting word count goals are effective daily disciplines for many writers, and I admire their consistency immensely. Admittedly, that's rarely been my go-to. I'm more of a butt-in-chair kind of girl.
2—Force it. Butt-In-Chair. Just freakin' start.
This is me. If I allow it, I will talk myself into making conditions just right for inspiration and hope the prolific writing will follow. Problem is, I'm a perfectionist. So, conditions being right means the house is spotless and everything is in its place; the dogs have been fed, taken out, and are now sleeping peacefully under my desk; candles are lit; coffee is hot; lighting is serene; and I have my favorite pen and a fresh notebook in hand. You see how this is going to end. So to actually be a writer, I have adopted more of a butt-in-chair approach. I just sit down and start writing, confident that if I'm completely uninspired, I'm going to write crap first, then the good stuff will flow. I have a real appreciation for and first-hand experience with Anne Lamott's concept of "Sh*tty First Drafts" from her book Bird by Bird. Do yourself a favor and listen to it here—then sit your caboose down and write.
3—Capture it on the go. Open a journal or an app.
When I was writing my first book, type A plans B, I was a single mom of two. My children were in grade school and soccer and dance and all the things, plus I worked full-time, of course. So writing that book, while arguably cheaper than therapy, had to be done on the go. I frequently jotted notes in a journal at my bedside, opened an app and recorded my thoughts vocally while driving, and put concepts together on my iPad at soccer practices. Many writers adopt methods to capture their thoughts when inspiration strikes so they can develop them later when inspiration hides behind a blank screen. Practiced consistently, this method eliminates half the battle when it's time to plant your butt-in-chair and write.
4—Slow down. Listen. Reflect.
An hour of reflective, deep thinking is my faaaaaavorite time to write, particularly if I feel the breeze on my skin and a bit of sunshine on my face, hold my favorite pen and a new journal, and there’s no one else around. (See what I mean about conditions being right?) I love to wade into the deep and think, work things out, and just write. The challenge is that's not the lifestyle I currently live, though I am trying to work some of that zen into every day. For most of us, it takes enormous and deliberate effort to sit still, stay still, reflect, and write.
5—Stop. Go do something worth writing about.
When all else fails, follow the advice of someone older and wiser than us all. Benjamin Franklin advised, "Write things worth reading, or do things worth writing." Naturally, we can't constantly trade the pen for adventure and still call ourselves writers. However, on occasion, stepping away from our desks, coffee shops, and electronics provides exactly the inspiration we need. Go do something fun. Be active. Take a drive. Or, like Ben Franklin, go fly a kite in a thunderstorm. Just come back to the keyboard or pick up a pen and tell the world all about it.
Keep at it! I am determined to start working that muscle more each week. I hope you will, too.
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