Even those of us who write for a living lose our writing mojo from time to time. In fact, I’m sitting here in front of my screen, gnashing my teeth over this post and other writing projects I have coming up today. Writing mojo, how do I get you back?
Thanks to Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt), senior content marketing manager at Movable Ink, I’ve got some ideas. In her article, “10 ideas to help writers get it in gear,” she proposes 10 maneuvers that can help you blast free of your writing reluctance, fear or whatever it may be and get productive. Here are my five faves:
- “Get out for some green.” The color green can boost your motivation. So go out for a quick walk in your neighborhood and look at the grass and trees. I love walking by “Calvin’s Garden” in my neighborhood. Amazing to see what he’s producing from a tiny patch of ground.
- “Challenge yourself to beat the clock.” This seems too much like work, eh? But it’s effective. I set myself a goal of getting a good outline done in an hour. Finishing it delivers a legitimate sense of accomplishment, and the rest of the project almost writes itself.
- “Get moving, then get to work.” Even if you’re the laziest soul on the planet, there’s something magical about getting your body in gear. Even walking up and down the walkway outside my apartment and doing grapevine moves does it for me. Oxygenated and more relaxed, I can more easily get down to business.
- “Recognize that you can get stuff done even when you don’t feel like it.” This is the biggie, the moral equivalent of taking a dose of cod liver oil. Getting down to work may not feel like fun, but boy howdy, you’ll feel better as you progress, because working is good for you.
- “Try to enjoy the process.” This injunction is related to the previous bullet. That is, if you can see what you’re doing as a process encompassing both great and not-so-great moments, you’re ahead of the game. Ms. Dunleavy quotes editor and blogger Peter Turley who says, “If you can enjoy the process, then you’ve already achieved your goal. If you focus on the endpoint, you’ll quickly lose writing motivation.”
There you have it, or at least five good ideas to help you when you’re feeling stuck in your writing. I’ve put them up on the bulletin board next to my desk, where they will serve as a reminder that writing is hard, but it’s good.
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