Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today to answer a few questions for you. What do you do when you lose your inspiration to write? When nothing seems to be working and you’re wondering if it’s all worth it? I have these feelings sometimes, I’m sure every writer does because writing is not about instant gratification. That’s for sure.
So what do I do when I lose my writing mojo?
When I’m struggling with a scene and just can’t get it to work. I get up and go for a hike. A hike usually gets my creative juices flowing, and it’s good for my body. Hiking relieves my stress and I’m burning calories.
Photo credit: Christian Arballo via Visualhunt / CC BY-NC
If the weather’s nasty outside, I’ll turn on the tunes and do some housework. With a husband and two boys there’s always something that needs to be done. By doing these mindless tasks, I free up my mind and solve my plot issues.
When I was going through chemo, I was on the verge of giving up on writing. It seemed so exhausting; writing the books, trying to find agents and/or publishers, and marketing the books. When I was sick, these tasks seemed extremely daunting. I really questioned why I was heading down this road, and I did stop writing for a while. I just was not inspired.
But when I finished my chemo treatments and I started to recover, my motivation came back. My oldest read my Super Spies series and he was so proud of my work. Then my youngest read my first one and he liked it, but he’s more into Percy Jackson. That’s okay. He’s reading.
So, whenever I’m stuck and don’t know if I should keep writing, I look at my kids. I don’t want them to think their mom’s a quitter. I want them to know I persevered. I want them to see that success is not a straight line. Sometimes you don’t get what you want right away. Sometimes it takes a lot of attempts to get something right.
One last thing I do, is just take a break and read. I put my manuscript away, curl up on the couch, and lose myself in a good book. This inspires me to continue my work because I want my books to touch people the way some books touch me. What am I reading right now? Here’s the cover and blurb.
Though she left Charleston a spoiled daughter of the South, Emily returns from her stay in the North a changed young woman. Her assumptions about slavery have been shattered, and her secret dream of attending university has blossomed into fierce ambition. As the passions sweeping North and South toward war threaten to envelop the city she loves, Emily must battle her father’s traditional expectations in her own bid for freedom. Meanwhile, the real fight may lie within her heart, which stubbornly refuses to accept that a choice for independence must be a choice against love.
“Poetic” and “Nuanced”, Ella Wood is the story of a young woman standing at the edge of war and struggling with questions of morality, purpose, and love.
So, there you have it. These are ways I get inspired to continue my writing journey. How about you? What do you do when you’re struggling? Leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!