How to Overcome Lack of Writing Motivation
If you’re suffering from a lack of writing motivation, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common pain points for writers.
Lack of writing motivation doesn’t mean that you’re lazy or that you’re unskilled, but the fear of being judged for either makes it difficult for writers to talk about.
This blog post offers tips and advice to help you overcome a lack of writing motivation so that you can gain self-confidence, build momentum, and finish your novel.
Let’s hop to it!
Writers write. That’s what makes us writers, write? So what are we when we’re suffering from a lack of motivation and we take a break from writing?
Yes, you’re still a writer even if it feels crummy and you begin to doubt your abilities. Yes, you’re still a writer if you’ve hit writer’s block and you need to take a break with a pitcher of palomas on the beach.
The more complicated question to answer, though, is how to handle a lack of motivation. Why are you in a slump? How long can you take a break from your writing? What can you do to overcome this issue?
AN ANTAGONIST TO YOUR CREATIVITY
If you envision your creativity as a hero pursuing its own story goal of a fulfilling and satisfying journey, then “Lack of Motivation” is an antagonist that your creativity might end up tussling with.
All this means is that this particular antagonist can be handled and put down, y’all. It means that you have everything you need to overcome this particular pain point.
But it does require a thorough and clear understanding of how you work, the conditions under which you work best, and what you want to accomplish in your writing journey.
HOW I LEARNED TO HANDLE LACK OF MOTIVATION
It isn’t often that I hit low points in my writing journey where I have no desire to sit down and write. But when those situations pop up, they send me into a downward spiral, and I’ll go months without actively writing.
However, with a lot of inner work on my natural writing forces, I’ve learned to notice when I’m about to “hit a dark season,” which can result in a lack of motivation.
If I pivot in time, I can save myself from losing too much momentum with my creative work.
NATURAL WRITING FORCES
This is a term I coined a long time ago that refers to all the internal and external factors that impact my writing (both in beneficial and troublesome ways).
One of the “troublesome” internal factors I have to deal with every year is that I suffer from the “winter blues.” This tends to be a “dark season” for my creative journey because I’ll lose motivation. Some warning signs include exhaustion, resistance to adhere to my writing routine (doing chores instead of writing, for example), vegging out with Netflix, and feeling low confidence about my WIP.
One of my “cures” is regular creative health check-ins through journaling. I’ll write in my journal about the lack of progress I’m making, and right away I’ll know that I’m in self-sabotage mode.
From this point, I have some choices to help me pivot onto a better path. As I’m already in non-writing mode, my first step is to forgive myself for abandoning my work and allowing myself this break.
My next step is to schedule a concrete time frame for this break. I put it in my calendar, talk about it in my journal, mention it to my writing team, whatever. This keeps me accountable so I don’t spend too much time away from the writing.
Then, I give myself another creative project to play with. This helps keep my Muse happy and engaged, and it strengthens my creative spirit in other ways.
The pivoting and detouring may mean that I have to be away from my main WIP for weeks or even months, but I’m okay with that. Long ago, I used to freak out if I missed even a day of working on the story of the moment. Nowadays, I understand an intentional break is actually quite healthy and can lead to a stronger relationship with my Muse.
LET’S TALK ABOUT FEAR
Like a chameleon, fear can disguise itself depending on certain conditions. It can show up as self-doubt, a bad cold, “no time to write,” disruptions from external forces, procrastination, etc. All of these issues can breed a lack of motivation, writing slumps, or even the dreaded (and highly controversial) writer’s block.
Photo by Michael Held on Unsplash
Fear isn’t something that will ever completely disappear. It’s a natural part of growth and evolution. But fear also reminds us that we’re onto something that matters. If you’re a writer and you never feel fear (or some relative of fear, like anxiety), then you’re not challenging yourself. You’re not stepping outside your comfort zone. You’re not taking risks.
You’re not doing something that truly matters.
If you can look at fear as a signal that you’re growing and becoming a better version of yourself, then you can begin to come up with some strategies to help you work (write) alongside (or despite) the fear.
Creation is one of the best weapons you can use to fight fear. When you’re creating, you’re choosing growth over stagnation. Fear might still be present, but it’ll have a tougher time overwhelming you when you’re actively engaged in things that truly matter to you.
When you’re feeling smothered by fear, create something. It's up to you how you define "something.” This could be poetry, an herb garden, a photo collage on your living room wall, a scrapbook, homebaked desserts, a bird-feeding station, a family cookbook . . .
Use your imagination and tap into hobbies and interests that spur your curiosity and happiness.
OTHER REASONS TO SHOW UP CONSISTENTLY AS A CREATIVE
Consistently showing up and tapping into your creativity not only can subdue fear, but it also carries these other benefits:
When you engage in creativity on the regular, then you establish a habit.
A habit allows you to build your skills and grow your knowledge.
Increased knowledge and stronger skills make writing more fun.
When you have more fun as you write, you cultivate joy and you're eager to write more.
Enjoyment of writing leads to self-confidence and a willingness to step outside of your comfort zone.
With boosted self-confidence and increased risk-taking, you shrink the space where fear used to hold court.
As fear dwindles (it will never totally disappear and that’s okay because fear has its good points, y’all), your overall writing journey will become more fulfilling and enjoyable.
Momentum will build and motivation will increase. You'll move forward with curiosity and a willingness to learn and grow.
All of these positive effects have the magical power to keep fear at bay.
Fear can't be totally banished, but it CAN be managed. Fear has its place in this world, and it’s up to you to learn how to manage it so that it supports and guides but doesn’t block you.
WHICH WOLF WILL YOU FEED?
I love this quote (paraphrased) and attributed to the Cherokee:
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me.” He said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
This is applicable when it comes to telling the difference between whether you’re taking a healthy break or a damaging break from your writing. Complicating the issue is that you could make things worse if you push through the difficulty when you should instead step away. Often, forcing the issue can lead to burn-out or even a dislike of your current story.
How to know what to do? How to know which wolf is stronger inside you?
MY #1 COACHING TIP: Taking a break is always the right thing to do as long as it’s grounded in positivity and self-love.
For example, if you’re saying to yourself “I’m a lousy writer. I can’t deal with this story anymore. It sucks. I suck. The world sucks…” and then you walk away—that’s not going to help you at all. You’ve separated yourself from your work with limiting beliefs. Returning to that story is going to be horrendously difficult because now your thoughts and beliefs are rooted in negativity and self-disgust.
However, if you frame your self-talk with encouragement and kindness and love, that will buoy you during your break.
Limiting beliefs come from fear.
Empowering beliefs come from love.
If you nurture fear, it’ll lead you to stagnation.
If you nurture love, it’ll lead you to growth.
Ask yourself what kinds of things you’re saying to yourself during your break from your writing. What kinds of things were you saying to yourself in the moments or days leading up to your break? All of this will tell you which wolf you’re feeding.
THE POWER OF JOURNALING
Don’t fret if you’re a self-saboteur. Writers are prone to beating themselves up senselessly, so welcome to the club.
But we don’t want to keep that bad habit! This is where the beauty of journaling can really help. Every day, journal a supportive letter to yourself. It’s okay to acknowledge that you haven’t been all that kind to yourself, but don’t wallow too long in that guilt. Address it, forgive it, and move on.
For as long as you need to, write love letters to yourself. Yes, this may sound hokey, but if you can’t treat yourself with respect and kindness—then no one will.
THE POWER OF WRITING GROUPS
Another excellent self-help modality is a writing group. Fellow writers can do wonders in the form of intervention because WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE. Even the most successful writers are struck with self-doubt, fear, and negativity.
Join a group or find yourself a partner or even a coach/mentor. Shop around! Don’t feel like you have to stick with the first group or mentor you meet. It’s important to find your match, a group of people or someone who can hold you accountable when you stray off course and who can lift you up when you’re down.
CREATIVE DISSONANCE
“Creative dissonance” is a term I use to explain the damaged or broken relationship between a writer who doesn’t write and their creative work.
I believe that there is an emotional relationship that grows between a writer and whatever project they’re working on. Emotions can get in the way and cause problems if we don’t properly manage them.
Taking a break from your creative work for too long (and for self-sabotaging reasons) can lead to creative dissonance, where you and your book are no longer in harmony. Getting back on track with the book becomes more difficult the longer you stay away from it.
Now, it could very well be that the dissonance is the reason you had to take a break in the first place. That's totally normal! Losing our connection to the book commonly happens, but you can solve the problem through various tactics depending on the root problem.
For example, if the root problem is weak structure or a shaky plotline, then working with a writing coach or taking a writing workshop are two great tactics.
If the root problem is fear or some other internal demon, then, as I mention above, journaling or confiding in a trusted writing partner can help a lot.
HOW TO NAVIGATE YOUR WRITING BREAK
Reasons for a writing slump aside, you should prioritize two things during your writing break: Yourself and Your Creativity.
PRIORITIZING YOURSELF LOOKS LIKE THIS: You can’t have a healthy relationship with writing if you’re not nurturing yourself. Pick 1 or 2 things you can do daily that make you feel good. Walking on the beach, watching a movie, hanging with friends, etc. Get in the habit of nurturing yourself daily with at least one special action.
PRIORITIZING YOUR CREATIVITY LOOKS LIKE THIS: Even if you can't stand to look at your WIP, there are hundreds of other avenues of creative expression. Baking, gardening, home decoration, scrapbooking, photography, blogging, making TikToks or IG reels or YouTube videos, handwriting letters to family or friends...the list is endless. Choose to do at least one creative thing a day--this not only keep your gears warmed up, it also keeps you in the state of creative growth rather than creative stagnation.
Nurturing yourself and your creativity during a writing break will strengthen you and prep you for your return to your WIP.
When you overcome your lack of writing motivation and return to your story, you may discover that the slump occurred because of serious issues with the story itself. This can be discouraging, but there are resources you can lean on to help you fix these problems.
The most important point here is that you don't burden yourself with guilt or self-doubt or negative self-talk. It's nearly impossible to fix your story if you're feeling crummy about yourself. It's also nearly impossible to enjoy the craft of writing if you're feeling crummy about yourself.
Whether or not your story has foundational issues and whether or not you're burned out from writing--the relationship between you and your story is sacred. Protect that relationship by nurturing yourself and your creativity in any way that feels right to you.
YOU’RE A WRITER EVEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT WRITING
Believe this and embrace this: You’re a writer even when you’re not writing.
Identity as a writer isn’t only about the act of writing. It’s also about how you tune into the world and absorb information. You’re creating story when you observe, imagine, and daydream. Those are all steps in the writing process. When you transform your observations, imaginations, and daydreams into written words, you’re simply taking the next step in the writing process.
To be a writer, you have to imagine. To be a writer, you have to wonder. To be a writer, you have to explore ideas.
Taking a break from the act of writing doesn’t strip you of your writer identity. Keep dreaming. Keep imagining. Keep wondering. The writing will come back when you both are ready to work together.