How to Write When You Don't Feel like Writing

A writer must develop a regular time and place to write, a solid habit of sitting down and putting words on a page. Without it, housework, TV, email and everything else eats into your writing time. Weeks or months will go by with nothing written. But what do you do when you've got nothing to write about or just aren't in the mood? Follow these steps to find out what to do.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Make a regular appointment with yourself to write. If you keep a paper appointment book, write in these appointments with ink. If you keep an electronic appointment schedule, set it to give an audible alarm. It may be most helpful to keep an appointment book on your computer, forcing you to sit in front of it to turn the alarm off.
2. Write badly if you must. If you stick to your schedule, your brain will get used to accessing its creative side at that time. At first you may not write anything worth keeping and feel your efforts are wasted, but over time, you'll find yourself discarding less of your work. Eventually you'll be able to write brilliantly right away.
3. Rework your day. If you are never in the mood to write at your scheduled time, ask yourself why. You may find that you can't write if the housework isn't done, so make sure it's done before you start. If you are too tired to write at night, take a nap or write in the mornings instead.
4. Leave the house. If home life is providing too many distractions--TV, laundry, phone calls--to concentrate on your writing, consider leaving. Take your laptop (or just pen and paper) and go to the library or a coffee shop to write. Consider investing in an AlphaSmart, a battery-operated, rugged, lightweight word processor that you can use when away from home. When you return, transfer the text to your computer's word processor.
5. Do research. If you can't put words on paper, it's possible that you need to do some research on your subject. If you read a book, conduct Internet searches or go to the library for research, count this as writing time. Stay focused on your writing goal; don't let yourself get distracted by a tempting link or interesting book about something unrelated to your writing project.
6. Take time off. Most creative people need time to "recharge" between projects. If you've just finished something, stick to your writing schedule, but use the time to lie in a hammock or visit a park. Let your finished project leave your thoughts and wait for a new idea to arrive.

Tips & Warnings

• If you just can't seem to get anything written, ask yourself if you really want to write or if you just want to have written. Do you like the idea of being a writer but hate writing? Stop torturing yourself.
• Nothing motivates a writer like a deadline or the fear of losing a paying job. Consider acquiring either or both to train yourself to write even when you don't feel like writing.