How to Write When You Don’t Feel Like it
By: Caleb Robinson
Tags: Motivation, Productivity, Writing Tips, Writing, Writers Block

I don’t feel like writing. And yet here I am, typing away at an advice article on how to push through those days where literally anything sounds better than staring at a screen with vacant eyes and an empty brain. So how can you crank through that word count when your brain doesn’t want to?

First of all, let’s think about other professions for a moment (yes, I understand this is a hobby for most of us, but bear with me). People push through grueling tasks every day. Mechanics don’t just toss their tools in a bin and call it a day because they’re “not feeling it”. Doctors perform surgery even when they’re not “inspired”. Hardworking custodians show up every night, despite not feeling “passionate” about toilets. But we writers seem to think there’s a special rule about writers that says, “Oh yeah, they only do stuff when they’ve been blessed by the Holy Muses.”

I can already hear you saying, “But I only write as a hobby. Why would I write if it’s not enjoyable?”

That’s a fair question. As with most things in writing, the answer is subjective. But I’m going to do that annoying thing where I answer your question with a question of my own: “Don’t you want to want to write?”

I think the answer for most of us is a clear “yes”. As writers, we desire the desire to write, but we don’t always know how to get there. I have a few tips and thoughts that might help get you rolling.

As writers, we desire the desire to write, but we don’t always know how to get there.

1. Set an easy goal

When I say to set an “easy” goal, I mean easy easy. Easy as in, “I’m going to write three sentences and call it a day.” Easy as in, “I’ll find a source for this research project then do something else.”

The biggest problem for many of us is simply beginning. Setting a simple goal allows us to do so without pressure and often continue the flow without effort. If I sit down to write one paragraph, I’ll more than likely think of what happens in the one after that, then the following paragraph. Before I know it, I’ve written a few pages all because I sat down to write 1/4 of one!

Setting a simple goal allows us to begin without pressure

In the cases where you sit down, grind out a paragraph, and still feel like you’ve got nothing to give, that’s okay. You’ve made some progress. And that’s infinitely better than none. Not only that, but you’ve kept up your habit of writing daily, which many consider to be the most important thing in a productive writing career.

2. Reconsider the content you’re writing

I would say at least 50% of the time I don’t want to write, it’s because I know I’m not going to enjoy the scene/article I have next on my list. Here are some questions to ask yourself to get to the root of the problem

Why do I feel obligated to write this? This is often the start of your lack of enthusiasm. If you feel tied to the scene because it’s vital to the plot, consider a more appealing alternative that allows the story to progress but in more fun or interesting way. If it’s a topic you promised to cover in an article, try to approach it from a different perspective (e.g. change the tone from purely informative to partially satirical). Would this interest me as a reader? If it wouldn’t, think about what you’d want to see instead. This question is what made me rewrite nearly half the scenes in my current novel. As I edited, I thought, “Geez, when is this going to get interesting?” Had stopped to evaluate my own interest during the first draft, I would have enjoyed writing it a lot more, and it would have been a better project in general. How can I change this piece and still meet my goals? Sometimes, the problem is hard to pinpoint. Adding simple changes might fix the problem by chance (it works more than you’d think). Some quick examples of this: writing a scene from a different perspective, adding a storm in the background of a more dialogue-intense chapter, tweaking the problem you’re addressing in an article, or anything else that might reinvigorate you!

3. Rewards