How to get excited about writing again
At some point, every writer deals with feelings of discouragement and burnout. You may even get to a point where you say I don’t want to write anymore. If you’ve lost your writing mojo, don’t panic! I’m going to give you some ideas on how to make writing fun again. Whatever you do, try to rediscover the joy in writing. Because, guess what? Writing is supposed to be fun! It should fill up and replenish your soul. If you feel depleted and drained, you may be doing it wrong. If you’re wondering how to get excited about writing again, here are four things you can try.
Use writing prompts or exercises
Hear me out! I’m one of those people who used to hate writing prompts. I always saw them as a waste of time. I wanted to write in a way that was useful and productive. I wanted my writing to be going somewhere! But guess what? This attitude drained my writing joy because I could only view my writing as a means to an end. Then, when I wasn’t reaching the outcomes I wanted (publication), I began to feel depressed and hopeless. Writing no longer felt fun because it wasn’t getting me what I wanted (recognition, readers, income). It was then I realized I had been putting too much pressure on myself and my writing. Pressure and joy cannot co-exist because pressure comes from a place of fear and feelings of inadequacy. If pressure is driving you, you’ll inadvertently suck the joy right out of writing. To get excited about writing again, I had to start trying things I knew might never lead to a publishable story. But you know what? It was worth it because once the urgency and pressure was gone, my creative wells opened up again.
TRY: One writing prompt every day for 45 days (or three to five times a week - whatever works for your schedule). Even if you feel resistance, commit to completing it. See how you feel at the end of the 45 days. How have your feelings about writing changed?
Get out of the house
Your office or writing room might be lovely, but sometimes your computer feels like a ball and chain. Let go of your expectations on your writing time (however long or short it may be). Instead, take yourself on a fun writing excursion. If the weather is nice, go for a walk outdoors. Stop and observe what you see. Write it down in a notebook. Work on polishing your descriptions. If it’s miserable out, go to a bookstore or the mall and people-watch. Take notes on what you see and hear. Who might make an interesting character? What bit of overheard conversation gives you an idea for a story?
TRY: In your next writing session, take your notebook and go out for an excursion. After, write a short story or poem using some of your observations.
Start a new writing project
Story burnout is a real thing. Sometimes we’ve spent so much time on a project that it becomes hard to feel excited about it. It’s okay to switch gears and work on something else, as long as you’re not constantly starting new stories without finishing them. We need to find good balance. We shouldn’t be jumping on every shiny new story idea that pops into our brains, but if we’ve put good work into a project and it’s not feeling exciting anymore, we might need to switch gears. Breaks don’t have to be forever. You can always return to a project.
TRY: Take a 1-3 month break from your current project. Plan out a new story that has been popping up in your brain or write a few short stories.
Narrow your focus
Most of the time we get exhausted, burnt out or overwhelmed when we try to do too many things. It sounds obvious, doesn’t it! But the pressures around us often make us feel like we have to do much more than we actually need to. Stop listening to people who tell you you need to do this or that in order to be successful. Everyone’s path is different and trying to do everything will only leave us an overwhelmed, balling mess. Maybe you need to focus on one or two social media platforms instead of trying to be on all of them. When I quit TikTok, I admit, I had FOMO. But it only lasted for a short time. Eventually, I was relieved I didn’t have to create more videos. I got enough interest in my business by just using Instagram. Same with writing. I had to decide what kind of writer I wanted to be and narrow my focus. I couldn’t be a short story writer trying to win contests and a CNF writer submitting to news and magazines and a novelist working on a full-length novel. I had to decide which one I wanted most and focus on that, because levelling up in any of those genres takes an incredible amount of time, persistence and practice.
TRY: Take some time to set your writing goals. Where do you want to be in five to ten years with your writing? What should you be focusing on in order to get there? Is there anything you can cut out?
I hope you’ll try some of these activities to find the joy in writing again! If you’re stuck with a manuscript or story, I help writers get unstuck through my book coaching services. Get in touch for more details!
