Writing when you’re not in the mood.
Today’s post is an excerpt from Ready, Set, Write: A Guide to Creative Writing. This is from a chapter titled “Doing the Work,” which focuses on writing when you’re not in the mood.
Doing the Work
When you experience a burst of inspiration that leads to a satisfying writing session, the results are exhilarating. Whether you’ve gotten some thoughts and feelings off your chest, written a piece that you think might be publishable, or taken a giant step forward with your work in progress, you are likely to feel elated.
Maybe you came up with an exciting opening scene. Maybe you crafted a poem that makes you feel like a laureate. Maybe you put the finishing touches on an essay that you’re certain will win hearts and minds.
Your words flowed. Sentences chimed. Ideas tumbled out with ease. It was not only enjoyable—it was fun; you had a good time.
But writing will not always be fun.
Sometimes, you won’t feel like writing. This can last an hour, a day, a month, even years. Other times, you’ll hit a point in your project that is anything but enjoyable. You’ll slog through sentences and groan through revisions. And other times, whether the words flowed or not, the writing you produce will leave you feeling disappointed.
You might start to question whether you should have taken up writing in the first place: Maybe writing isn’t for you. Maybe it doesn’t fit your schedule or lifestyle. Maybe there are other hobbies you’d rather pursue, other activities that you’ll be better at doing. Maybe you don’t have what it takes. Maybe writing is just too hard. Maybe it’s a big waste of time.
Here’s what you need to know: This happens to all of us. Every writer experiences doubts. Every writer questions their abilities. Every writer wonders whether a project is truly worthy of their time and energy. Every writer hits bumps in the road.
And for many writers, these challenges don’t disappear with time and experience. These same misgivings are just as likely to arise while you’re drafting your tenth novel as they are during your first.
The difference between a writer and a would-be writer is that writers understand and accept that everything in life has ups and downs. Whether it’s a job, a hobby, or a relationship, there will be high points and low points.
Writers write through the low points. They figure out a way to work through the difficulties. They do the work.
Questions
Do you walk away from your writing when you’re not in the mood or when you’re not producing your best work? Have you ever pushed yourself to write even when you didn’t feel like it or when the work was difficult? How do you respond when a piece of writing doesn’t turn out the way you wanted?
This is encouraging.It is good to know am not alone in feeling that there are times I don’t feel like writing but I just do.I just have to.Thank you
Oh, it happens to all writers. I find that pushing through those times is important when trying to reach a goal or finish a project.
I can identify with the paragraph on self-doubts when you can’t seem to write. My critic has told me all of those things like you don’t have it, etc. It’s good to know it’s not just me, but that other writers have the same little hob-goblin whispering in their ears. I just have to push forward anyway and ignore him/her. Thanks for the encouragement. I needed that.
Whether that criticism comes from you or someone else, it’s important to ignore it. There is constructive criticism, which we should always consider. Constructive means that it’s designed to build us up — to make our work better. “This character would be more interesting if she…” is constructive criticism.
“You don’t have it” is just wrong. Even some of the most acclaimed, successful authors in the world show room for improvement, but they don’t let negative naysayers stop them from doing what they love. Stick with it!
Sometimes I can’t start writing a day, two or more… I just have no inspiration and I think I can’t write a single word. But if I make myself sit down to write, the process will start. I don’t know how it works, but the inspiration doesn’t come before the start, it comes after a couple of sentences have been written. So the key to success in writing something when I’m not in the mood is that I just sit down to work even if I don’t want to.
Everything as you write, it works!
You’ve discovered one of the secrets to longevity in writing, which is that those who maintain a good writing practice don’t wait for inspiration. We do the work, and inspiration often follows. Keep it up!
Thanks for this reminder that I’m not alone in this feeling. I am in a bit of a writing slump at the moment. My novel revisions have been sadly neglected over the summer due to sickness and going to music camp and just the way summer tends to disrupt things.
I want to get back to it but resist, unwilling to face the inevitable discomfort and daunting feeling that I’m never going to finish it with too many revisions to address.
My inner critic whispers to me with a nasty sneer “Don’t bother. You might as well give up at your age.” Such a nasty beast.
Hopefully I’ll get back into it eventually. The back to school feeling of fall helps but I’m still procrastinating. Maybe if I do one small revision, I’ll feel good about that and remember that my story is worth telling.
Hi Cathy. Revisions can be daunting, but as you gain experience, they’ll probably go a bit faster. Try taking a small portion at a time. Revise a paragraph or a page. Eventually you might tackle an entire chapter. Just take smaller steps. Think of it this way: if you revise one page a day for one year, you can get through 365 pages!
This is encouraging. It’s good to know that all writers have these thoughts. It’s just necessary to get on with it, though.
Sometimes we just need to push through!
Writing when you’re not in the mood is doable. Writing when you have Covid I still haven’t managed!