The holidays can be especially hard on a writer. From Halloween gatherings in October to New Year celebrations through the first week of January, writers often struggle with finding the time to keep their projects going.They feel guilty for wasting "family time" on their own work. OR they feel drained from stress, and a lack of inspiration overtakes them which causes a case of the all too dreaded "Writer's Block".
They best advice I can offer is: DON"T LET IT!
As Toni Morrison said: "I can't explain inspiration. A writer is either compelled to write or not. And if I waited for inspiration I wouldn't really be a writer."
Even if you only spend five minutes a day writing - perhaps first thing in the morning or right before laying your head down at night - you can stay motivated and maintain at least a minimal feeling of accomplishment on your projects.
Still struggling? Try these tips for curing the writing blahs.
Burnt out from NaNo or not sure how to find a writing routine? Read these 4 Tips on how to write like Nicholas Sparks.
Want to read blogs by other motivational authors? Try Jody Hedlund.
Happy holidays and HAPPY WRITING!
What tips or practices keep you going?
9 comments:
Sylvia: Thanks for posting the link for curing the writing blahs. I'm feeling that way at the moment. Maybe it's because of holiday burnout, NaNo fatigue, or maybe I need to have a brainstorming session on blog topics (which I can't remember doing for a LONG time!) Anyway, yours was a timely post. Happy holidays!
Great post! I've been struggling to stay motivated this season so this was perfect. I'm off to check out the links! Thanks!
I don't need motivation, and I keep a running list of ideas and things I want to research. Finding the time is the hard part, and I try to do it prior to the 'gatherings'.
Hope your Christmas is merry, Sylvia!
You have to keep going if you plan to get anything done. Whether writing or otherwise, procrastination is a dangerous thing.
Love the quote by Lamour. I find that if I'm writing on social media like Facebook, or even comments on blogger, I lose the drive to write anything else. Perhaps I have only a small allotment of words per day?
During Thanksgiving, my computer died. Now I have a new one with Windows 8. So now I'm frustrated at trying to learn this new program. Writing for now has wet out the window. I have yet to download a Word program. The hubby refuses to pay for the Office Suite one. He just doesn't understand.
Hugs and chocolate!
Thanks for all the great links! Off to squeeze in some quality writing time. ;)
I leave a blank Word document up so that when I'm answering emails or fiddling around on the internet, I can jot down ideas and such. And I'm not above writing a few sentences while waiting for the other person's move during Words With Friends. :-)
I am giving myself a bit of a break from the routine of writing and taking a few weeks to feed my writer's soul--journaling, reading writing books that fill my heart and soul. Hope you have a very merry Christmas.
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