“But I don’t want to write,” I say in my whiniest of voices when I wake in the morning.
Do you sometimes dread writing like I do? You stare gravely at the blank screen. You get thoughts of escape in the form of washing the dishes, raking the leaves, scheduling your wisdom teeth extraction. Let’s face it–getting in the mood to write, well, it’s hard. But to be a great writer takes practice. Practice, practice, practice. So I use these techniques to get in the mood to write. They might just work for you too!
Review your goals: I’m a morning writer, but I cannot tell you how many times I seek the safety of the snooze button because I’m sleepy and my writing brain feels sticky and gooey. Yet, the mere act of dragging myself out of bed at six a.m. and immediately reviewing my writing goals gets my heart racing and my blood pumping as utter excitement washes over me! Well, at the very least reviewing my goals motivates me to write.
Freewrite: A common way of overcoming writer’s anxiety is to freewrite. It works like this— put your pen to the paper (or fingers to the keyboard) for at least ten minutes without stopping. You can write about anything you want–the broken copier at work, the cobwebs in the corner of your ceiling, your newest hangnail. Even though I tell myself to write any old thing, I usually end up writing real stuff and getting good ideas for my latest project. So, let the words ooze out, and at the very least, you will have written something.
Read: That’s right. Begin by reading. Read from an author you love, read poetry, read a writing-technique book, read inspiring quotes about writing, read anything that reminds you of why you love stories, sentences, and words. After reading for only a few minutes, I always feel compelled to pick up my pen. Reading will give you a jolt, and you’ll always have a steady supply of inspiration at your fingertips. Anyway, if you want to be a writer, isn’t reading part of the deal?
There you have it, some tried and true techniques to get in the mood to write. And remember that world-famous writers, even the most prolific (such as Stephen King himself!) sometimes struggle with writing. I hope you can use one of these techniques next time you need to get in the writing zone.
How do you get in the mood to write? Share your strategies below!
