Start writing when you are in a mood to write, because when the mind works properly, only then you will be able to write some rollicking stuff.
It's gratifying to see writers making useage of old words like "rollicking". There truly is a charm to these words that our grandparents used. I for one would like to see a return to them.
I honestly fail to understand how using Google Translate can suddenly put you in the mood to write. This thread is about motivation or the lack thereof, not about using certain tools.
Thanks for directing me to this thread @spolitdiva. Very good points people have made here. When I am not in the mood, I just can't get myself to write anything and waste my time on facebook. But usually after an hour of wasting time surfing the internet, I usually feel guilty and start working. This is my daily routine.
@blueink If going on Facebook for an hour motivates you to write, then surely it is not a waste of time......true? Whatever works my friend......works! This thread is about writers sharing helpful hints that help them to work and you have given us one. Your hint is that you use guilt to motivate you.
Everyone has a different motivational "process". When I'm struggling with motivation I will walk away - maybe walk the dogs, go to the gym or something else that takes my mind off writing completely. I've never failed to come back motivated and raring to go.
@Samwisesam, You're one of the lucky ones that simply walks away and then comes back batteries recharged and good to go. But I know one writer who gets writers block and can't write for days, and gets depressed. I basically wrote this thread with her in mind. I was hoping to get tips in order to help her when she goes into these dry spells.
I can understand how this could work if you're creating for yourself. But what if you're under contract and need to produce on a daily basis, or been given some piecework and only a week to come up with it? And what if the subject matter is not to your liking? How do you motivate yourself to write with this scenerio?
Asking a writer to write when he/she doesn't feel like writing is like asking a hungover Futbol player to play the game they were meant to play. Some writers rise above and write the performance of their lives; others submit satisfactory work. When a writer is at a high level; they know which questions to ask and volley these questions into high quality content. A serious writer will have a style and method to the madness. Ask the right questions, know what you want the piece to accomplish, and edit edit edit.
@seph2013, Interesting.....so when not in the mood(hungover etc.)then simply submit merely satisfactory work. I suppose if one did this often enough complacency and apathy would set in. Compromise is a bitch no?
i take notes for my articles and but theme in words so when i'm ready i can start writing, sometime i just search in the Internet about the topic without writing till i can figure out how to start the article.
@actnews "When I'm ready I can start writing". This would not work if you were under a deadline imposed by an impatient client. Having notes made and ready is a good idea if you are writing for yourself. I used to be involved in the creative end of advertising. Jingles, snappy phrases, stupid slogans and rhymes all had to be invented and written on a clients cue. I hated it and soon discouvered that I could only write quality stuff when I was in the mood. When I wasn't in the mood to write it was all crap. It was this realization that ended my short career as a wannabee writer.
This is a really good question, and I commend you for asking it. Not many non-writers do. Writing, like anything else you do well, takes practice. I remember reading a long time ago that writers write. They write when they feel like it and, because their professionals, they also do it when they don't. One tool that writers use is a book of writing ideas. It consists of various descriptions of a scene, a character, an event, and then it asks you a few questions, such as "What happened next?" or "What would so-and-so do if this happened?" And then, as a writer, you pick up the thread and start to write what you think might happen, or what you think so-and-so might do. And the act of doing that stimulates your writing juices. There are a lot of books of this type on the market, which tells me that writer's block is a reality. When I get stuck, I try to put my challenge into the form of a very specific question. And then I go for a walk. Normally, I'm not gone more than 5 minutes, and I get an answer. So, questions you ask yourself are very powerful tools that writers can use to get past that block.
@BCHoag I believe that was one of the best posts on this thread. You took me on a short journey to your imagination and how you stimulate it. You are a good writer because your post had me right from the get go, all the way to the last word.