What do you do when you just can’t keep Writing?

We may want to be but we’re not energizer bunnies. Sometimes we just can’t write any more and there are many reasons this can happen, lack of motivation, lack of a project, lack of faith. I’ve had all three of these happen to me, the first and third more than the rest. There are a few ways I’ve managed to jump my batteries;

1.       Read a Book

I’m not a huge reader. I’ve read classics and pick up a book ever once and awhile but I’m a slow reader so it takes me about a month to finish a book if not longer or I get obsessed and my life becomes second to getting through the book, which is a monster-on-my-back I like to avoid. But I’ve found reading something similar or even different than the project I’m working on provides a prospective of what gets published and allows me to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s similarly frustrating experience giving hope there is an end. For me it’s also provided me with examples of flaws that are allowed in books and gives me hope that my story doesn’t have to be perfect. Perfection is really a myth.

 

2.       Go Back to the Basics

Especially when writing my screenplays if I’m not sure where things are going, or I don’t think things feel right I’ll go back to Character Development, Plot, Settings, Themes, and My Statement of purpose and define those things again. This may not change anything. It usually doesn’t change anything for me but reminds me what I’ve been trying to do and often inspires me to write out more detail so I can push forward. I outline, write character biographies, define themes, and write out a statement of purpose for the books and movies I work on as well as an excel sheet with timelines for all my characters so they have lives even when the “camera” isn’t rolling. It’s important to remember these characters need to be real before the story starts, after the story, and during the transitions that are too boring to actually write in the book.

 

3.       Get Away from the Writer and Live a Little

Even though we often define ourselves that way, a writer is not all we are. Our lives should have other aspects, especially since writing is a solitary activity and by nature we are social creatures. It’s important to have a balanced life. Go outside, make a new friend, put some life into your life and the motivation, faith, and a new project will come.

 

4.       More is Sometimes too Much

Even if you’ve written less than a paragraph of that new project sometimes you need to step back from the writing, like I’ve done with this blog for a couple months. I needed to stop the writing and the pressure that comes with it so I could come back fresh after a break. I’ve tried to go forward while the pressure remained and things just got worse and harder.

 

5.       Stop what you’re Writing and Write Something Fun

Writing my second novel I just stopped. My first novel needs some new eyes to edit it. Someone who actually knows about Christian Romance and can help me make it accessible to non-Christians without changing the message. But that was six months ago so I was losing faith it would ever get published. Since the second book is a sequel I found myself wondering why I was even bothering. A second project, a television show outline I’m working on seemed to be taking longer than it should and my faith just shrank to nothing. So, because it’s my nature I fell back into a story to comfort myself. It turned out to be a story I’d worked on over 15 years ago, when I was in high school. It reminded me of why I love to write and brought the joy back and with it came the faith. A few sayings help me;

                “I may not be able to write well yet but there’s time for me to learn.”

                “At least I’m not a model, actress, or baseball player and I can reach my peak in my 80s.”

                “I may not be the best writer but I know I have something to offer.”

                “Failure is guaranteed when one just gives up.”

                “50% of doing something well is doing it at all.”