5 Ways To Renew Your Writing Momentum
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There are times as a writer when your creativity is abundant and it feels as if your pen is guided by some zealous outside entity. Then there are other times when your thoughts are twisted or you’re distracted and can’t find your way back to the right frame of mind. Or maybe you just feel like there’s no spark to even get you started.
As discussed elsewhere in this guide, writing a book is all about building sustainable momentum. But for those fits when inspiration and motivation start to run dry, it can be helpful (and downright life-saving!) to have a few strategies for rejuvenating yourself.
Here are some key tactics for overcoming five of the most common impediments to building writing momentum.
Inspire yourself
If you’re struggling for fresh ideas, one of the best things you can do is allow yourself to experience art. Read books, as many as you can, by different authors in different genres and styles. Watch films to help you visualize how things can be adapted. Take in museums, art books, live performances, nature, spend time in your community. This passive learning will arm you with new techniques, possibilities, and ideas for your own work. We absorb concepts and ideas from every memory we make. So make as many as you can, let them percolate together, jot ideas down in a notebook and refer to it when you need a kick-start.
Legendary advertising copywriter, David Ogilvy, says something similar: “Big ideas come from the unconscious. Stuff your conscious mind with information, then unhook your rational thought process.” If you take in ideas and visuals that intrigue you and let your mind drift away as you think about your story, your mind can naturally make new connections – like automatically drawing from a self-curated repository of inspiration.
Review your optimal writing conditions
There’s a lot going on in our daily lives, from day jobs to kids, chores to social media. It can be a challenge to find the time to sequester yourself and simply write. For some, getting unstuck can be as easy as finding that ideal setup and being patient. You can start by scheduling yourself a period of the day where you can entirely dedicate yourself to writing, whether that’s writing with the rising sun like Ernest Hemingway or writing late into the evening like Robert Frost. Then you should create a space specifically tailored to helping you write, by identifying the environmental distractions (TV, computer, family, obligations) and developing in its place your own finely-tuned atmosphere (with lighting, music, comfort, hydration).
And if you’ve already done all of this and your routine no longer suits you, it’s time to find a new mix of conditions that will get the creative juices flowing again.
Use research to reinvigorate your writing
They say to write what you know, but if you reach a part of your writing of which you don't possess personal knowledge or experience, it can be a challenge to stay in the flow. You can’t very well guess because the conviction of your writing will suffer. Your protagonist may act out of character, and informed readers will lose investment in the story.
At this point, it’s a good idea to take a brief break from writing, and do some research through books, interviews, articles or whatever other materials that can better educate you on your story’s circumstances. Once you find your answers, you can return to the scene with confidence. Whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction, research is imperative, and it can be a potential force to bring you back into the flow of your story with new energy.
Harness your emotions
We draw inspiration from our own lives and experiences, but sometimes scenes may hit too close to home, especially if you're writing a memoir, biography, or even historical fiction. Writers can become so connected to their characters that their empathy can be debilitating. A graphic, abusive, frightening, or romantic moment on the page can dredge up a great deal of unbidden feelings.
You should allow yourself to feel these responses, and take a break to let it all sink in, but not too long. This authentic connection could be the fuel your writing needs to inflame the minds of your audience. Henry David Thoreau would say to “write while the heat is in you”.
Overcome self-doubt
Many writers fear their tale has already been told or that they don’t have the skill to tell their story. They second-guess literary decisions they’ve made and dive deep into a bottomless pit of perfectionism that could keep them from ever finishing their work.
Take a breath, and think of it this way: writing is an ever-evolving art. No one is perfect. If you recognize any issues of structure or content, remember you can always get professional assistance to polish your manuscript. Getting the ideas on the page is what’s most important. As Terry Prachett said, “the first draft is just you telling yourself the story”.
If instead you worry your book just won't be appealing to a wider audience, you could share your story with friends or communities with similar interests to gauge their impressions and hear feedback. While not all readers will respond to each writer’s style, every book has a reader out there. Take the time you need, go slow if you have to, comfort yourself often, then come back to writing. You have a story that only you can tell, so give it all the attention and focus you can. If you never sit down and get it done, you'll never know what it could have been.
