help--cant get in the mood to write!?

Question

i'm writing a fiction book, and it seems like for the past few days--doing laundry immediately--is more important. why can't i get motivated?? it's a good story...but i've been procrastinating. usually i'm very good with doing what needs to be done, but i don't know what's gotten into me lately! anyone have any tips on how to get back into the mood to write?? thanks!

Answer 1

Here's a great site with some fun tips to get yourself back on track: http://storymind.com/articles/2004-05-06.htm

Happy Answering,
~Tia~
Live from the big, purple brain
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Answer 2

Well Well Well - this seems to be the question that I also need an answer to - because I periodically go through this phase - in fact am in the phase right now. From experience - I think I know that perhaps one or more of the following things will help you get over the phase :-
1. Stop going to yahoo answers!
2. Stop writing what you were and go on to another story or a poem.
3. Get a white board and stand it on the mantle piece where it is very visible with the last line you wrote in your story.
4. Sleep in the afternoon for an hour or two when you are alone - this will keep you awake late into the night and you will follow the dictats of Dr Johnson (the first english lexicographer) who once said "any one who sleeps before 12 Midnight is a scoundrel".
5. When not feeling and alone just lie down on the sofa and recreate the story you have written in your mind.
Then finally write to [e-mail] if it worked and then I too shall give it a try. Perhaps we can tell each other the success or failure after a months time.
Go Go GO! Not a moment to lose - jump out of the yahoo answers for a day or two right now !!!!!

Answer 3

Unh unh! Mood has nothing to do with it, and you know that, because you admit you are procrastinating. What you need is discipline. Set aside a period of time each day -- even if it's only half an hour -- and during that time, you work on your writing. As a warmup, start revising what you have already written. But stay with it. NOTHING, not laundry, not feeding the cat, not mowing the lawn, NOTHING is able to distract you. And yes, unplug the phone or switch off the cell phone if that's what it takes. Keep this up until writing once again becomes part of your regular routine.
Good luck!

Answer 4

You might be all written out. Take a break and do something social. though writing is a lonely and dreary job, it doesn't mean you can't have fun. If that doesn't work, it might mean something's wrong with the book. Go back over the last chapter and see what caused you to end up where you are now. Reading it might jump start you, or allow you to get in some editing. But doing something related to your project might get you back on track

Answer 5

Try going for a walk or taking a vacation. I needed to write a song once, so I spent a weekend camping at a state park. I would walk, and think of words. I sat on a rock in the lake looking at the beautiful nature and the words just came. I then was so excited about my creation that I wrote it down as soon as I got home!

Answer 6

me and my classmates in my creative writing class had the same problem. what i always tell them is to write completely random words on the paper. any word that comes to mind, even if they're mostly curses (like i sometimes end up with lol). if the words you think of have too much in common then you're not thinking random enough. then you'll look at a word and suddenly form a sentence around it, then maybe even a whole entire scene. works for me all the time. do a search on writers block, like i did. that's how i found out the word thing.

Answer 7

I'm a technical writer for a living and I usually have strict deadlines to meet. It is very frustrating to be unable to feel the motivation to write - it happens to me all the time! What I do is force myself to write a small increment - one sentence maybe - at a time. I'll do it and see if it motivates me to continue. If not, then I'll take a break and set a specific time to write one more sentence. I find I work best under deadlines, so setting one for yourself may help get you going again.

Answer 8

Two people in my house are writing different things. When they get into writers block, they tell each other to just write anything on paper - whatever comes into their thoughts - and that sometimes gets them back on track.

What that person said about going out for inspiration is something they do sometimes, too. Always with their notebooks.

Answer 9

Treat your writing like a job and just do it. Don't worry if what you write is crap, you can alter that later. The important thing is to get started, then the words will come.

Answer 10

resistance is usually the sign of a breakthough.

make it a point ot write every day for 15 minutes.
if oyu canot think of someting to write - scribble.

if you are not in the mood to scribble - use a crayon and color.