Uninspired, Unmotivated or Unavailable

Hi everyone, and a very happy Sunday to you!

Today’s blog post focuses on the three main reasons you may not be meeting your writing goals and targets and what to do about it!

In my opinion the three reasons a person might have for not writing are;
A) You are uninspired
B) You are unmotivated
C) You are unavailable

I’ll explain this in more depth and hopefully give you some tips and tricks for working around it.

So,

A) You are uninspired
Lacking inspiration is so frustrating for a writer. This could go one of two ways; perhaps you have no story idea at all and you’re desperately searching your imagination for that idea that sets your creative brain alight, or perhaps you have a WIP (work in progress) but it’s hit a stand still. Well no worries, we can sort out both of these!

If you have no story idea at all try some short exercises based on writing prompts. I post a prompt every day to my instagram (@uninspiredwriters). I also post the most popular ones from each month on this website, simply click here to see those. Using prompts can really get your mind whirring and whether you’re encouraged to write a sentence, a paragraph or even a whole chapter from it then it’s a start! Plus, I’m only one of many blogs who post writing prompts, so you’ll be spoiled for choice!

If you already have a WIP but have been stopped in your tracks by our old friend ‘writer’s block’ then it can be a little hard. Because you’ve already had the spark and if it’s fizzled out then it can be tricky to find it again. Here are some ways to get yourself back on track:

1. Tell the story from another character’s point of view for a while. You’ll learn more about your story when you see if through the eyes of a character who’s normally on the side lines.
2. Write a short story about your main character that’s different from your main project. Learning more about your main guy or gal should hopefully help you to push them forward in their real story too.
3. Try to remember the spark you had when you first got the idea. All that excitement you felt when inspiration struck was for this very same story, and it’s still there deep down!

B) You are unmotivated
It’s so important to write for you; write because it makes you happy, because it’s an escape, because it saves you. So many writer’s will advise you to always write for yourself and for no-one else and while I agree I am enough of a dreamer to wish for bigger things from my writing; and you mustn’t feel guilty for that if you do it too.

Just because you’re writing for you doesn’t mean it’s not disheartening to imagine your work never being read by anyone else, never being published, never giving you a career. And all these thoughts will get you down and leave you feeling unmotivated. Why am I doing this? What’s the point? This kind of slump will kill your creativity. Here’s what you can do:

1. Remember that all the writer’s you’ve ever read started off in the same spot as you. All published authors were once unpublished, all known authors were once unknown.
2. Writing is not easy and the fact you’re even doing it is admirable.
3. Remember why you’re writing your story. What is it you’re trying to say? What life lessons or harsh truths or unanswered questions are you trying to unravel? You started this story with a purpose; finish it!
4. When you finish your story, whatever happens from that point, you will be so proud. And no amount of potential rejection letters can take away your achievement. (Also, no amount of rejection letters will ever mean your story is a NO. Authors are rejected every day; and many of those who persevere get there in the end!)

C) You are unavailable
I chose the word ‘unavailable’ mostly because I wanted another ‘un’ word. What I mean is, you’re busy. Your time is taken up by a job, a family, the day to day busyness of life. It can be so hard to find that balance and find time to write, and feeling as though you don’t have the time will always put your writing on the back seat.

Again, there are ways you can fix this:

1. Set realistic writing goals with either daily or weekly targets. If your time is seriously limited this may just be; write a hundred words a day or spend one evening a week on my WIP. These steps may feel little and like they won’t get you anywhere, but all progress is progress.
2. Always carry a notebook. This is the most repeated piece of writer’s advice ever, but endlessly true and useful. If your writing time is limited try to snatch moments when you can think about your work, make those characters have conversations in your head; on your lunch break at work, when you’re walking somewhere, in the shower…then just make quick notes on what’s come to you. This still counts as moving forward.
3. Don’t fret or feel guilty that you aren’t writing often. I’m terrible for doing this but trying to be kinder to myself. You can only do what you can do.

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I really hope that if you’re any of these three things that this post has given you something to think about and that you’ll be back on track with your writing journey before too long! Please leave a comment if there’s anything you’d like to add or say!

Have a wonderful day,
Keep writing,
M
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