"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." - Walt Disney

Friday, September 27, 2013

Fall in Love with Your Writing

It’s Fall, and time to love writing again. Rejection, frustration, envy of others, and real world demands can drive a wedge between you and your passion. Just remember, you started writing because you love it! Here are four ways to remind yourself, and reignite the spark for your craft.
1.      Focus Your Time – It’s one thing to write for money or on assignment, but if you don’t enjoy what you are writing, you’ll begin to detest the process. Planning, rewriting, submitting, and marketing can all take a toll as well. Devote an equal, if not greater, amount of time to YOUR choice of writing projects. And stay away from people and activities that distract or bring you down. Time will rekindle the love.
2.      Rediscover the Romance – Turn off the interruptions of phones, social media, etc. Spend time alone, sipping your favorite beverage, listening to your favorite music, reading your favorite books, and let your mind wander. Write out your thoughts, fears, guilt, hopes, dreams, and scenes that create themselves in your mind. Write without the intention of publishing, seeking an audience or approval, or even correcting your work. Let go and enjoy the process. You are redirecting the passion that led to your love of writing.
3.      Share the Love – Allow yourself to spend time every month with other writers. Join a writer’s guild, critique group, or read books and blogs on the craft. Occasionally surround yourself with others who value writing because it is a solitary endeavor, and sharing the passion you feel will fuel your creativity and success.
4.      Build Your Inspiration – The best inspiration comes from developing a fan base for your writing. Readers commenting on your posts, or asking about your next publication provide you with continual support and motivation.
All writers experience burn out, whether it is for a few hours or a few years. Allow yourself to ignite the passion, fuel your creativity, and fall in love with this craft again.

I'd love to hear your ideas. How do you ensure that your relationship with writing remains healthy and full of love?

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Great ideas. I've been playing a bit with different ideas and writing styles on the various blogs I post on or contribute to. While it's scary and feels vulnerable, it's also engaged me in my writing again.

shelly said...

Interruptions are the worst.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

Patrick Stahl said...

I put myself in a position where I have little choice but to write a lot.

Unknown said...

I like number 2: Rediscover the Romance. Since I started blogging and trying to figure out Twitter I find myself more distracted than ever. I miss the endless amount of time I had for fiction projects. This reminds me to take the time to get back to why I started writing in the first place.

Linda King said...

Hi - thank you for the follow! Nice to 'meet' you :-) I am often un-motivated, mainly due to being exhausted by life and the day-job. When this happens I take a break to re-charge my batteries. Maybe I write a little, maybe not at all, but my mind is always developing plots and searching for ideas. When I feel rested and that life is more manageable, I start writing again. Great tips, thank you!

Chemist Ken said...

Fall is the time I'm most charged up for writing. Partly because it's my favorite time of the year, but also because my stories (which revolve around magic and castles) seem like they should always take place at this time of the year, when the mood is spooky.