A poet friend once advised me: “it’s not your guts, don’t make it precious to you, just write what comes, it’s not identity or possession, mine it later for good bits”.
Write garbage for a few minutes when you start. Plan on throwing that away. Warm up. Stretch the brain then put it to work. It’s low risk.
Stephen King has stated multiple times in his musings (especially when speaking about the dark tower saga) about the importance of just writing. Not liking/loving/etc just doing a lot of it. Just write.
Are we talking fiction or non-fiction? Obligated writing (school, work) or voluntary writing (journaling, fun)? Getting over a hump (dealing with writer’s block) or getting started in the first place?
It’s really hard to give advice without knowing the context of the problem.
“Don’t wait for the muse. As I’ve said, he’s a hardheaded guy who’s not susceptible to a lot of creative fluttering. This isn’t the Ouija board or the spirit-world we’re talking about here, but just another job like laying pipe or driving long-haul trucks. Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you’re going to be every day from nine 'til noon. or seven 'til three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he’ll start showing up.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Inspiration and motivation can be fleeting in all aspects of life, and so discipline can be more reliable.
Some progress is better than no progress.
Just like when you feel like not doing anything else, you just get going and sometimes just starting anyway pays off and you get into a good flow
A lot of it is repetition, and showing up every day with a quota to fill. The other part is not overthinking everything and letting your ideas flow freely.
80% of the bullshit you come up with when you’re not having a flash of inspiration is still good enough to fill the gaps over. You just want to make sure it’s thematically consistent with the core idea you had. And also have a solid editor
just do a diary. piers anthony fans used to look forward more to his authors notes than his books (almost) which was pretty much a little story of what was happening with his life. Keep a diary and reread and see about rewriting more interesting bits into an amusing little story.
You just do it. I’ve written 2 novels and half way through my 3rd. You just crack on and develop the ideas you have as you go. It’s a long process with plenty of rewriting and editing, but you end up with something intricate that you have crafted.
Just write anything. Eventually you start to have ideas of how to build on what you started. The real trick is understanding that a first draft is supposed to be bad. Don’t worry about doing it right. Do it first. Then clean it up later.
Because motivation is a lie
Set a timer. Sit. Write bullshit until timer yells.
The secret seems to lie in not giving a shit what you write.
How do you go shopping if you are not hungry?
- Write a word. Any word will do. Is there a synonym that is more in line with what you’re (supposed to be) writing? If so I replace it. If not, that’s fine.
- Expand it into a sentence. Again, anything will do.
- Does this connect to what you’re (supposed to be) writing? If so, perfect. If not, that’s fine.
- Expand into a paragraph.
- Proofread, refine, and focus in it being a quality paragraph.
- Can it be rewritten to fit into what you’re (supposed to be) writing?
- If yes, add it to your writing. If not, you are at least warmed up now. File it in case you’re later writing something else where it fits.
Repeat if necessary
…that’s usually how I get my creativity going, even if I do not feel inspired. I’ve found that motivation and inspiration out of nothing is rare. But once you’re writing something, anything, you’re at least getting into the right headspace.
Why do you need to force yourself? Is there a deadline?
Normally I never force myself.
