✨ What to do when you love writing but aren't writing ✍️
Strategies and Barbie jokes to bring back that spark to your writing routine
Dear Pen Pals,
I love writing but haven’t been doing much of it lately. How do I get back into writing?
Sincerely,
Writer-not-writing
Dear Writer-not-writing,
One of the most beautiful parts of writing is that we all do it differently, but one of the most frustrating side effects of that is it means there’s no one clear-cut solution to the “I’m not writing” problem.
But the way I see it, this just means you’ve got plenty of options. And I’m about to help you strategize which ones are best for you.
As someone who loves planning and organization, getting back into writing means, for me, building a scheduled routine and tracking my daily progress. For others (to be clear, I’m lookin’ at Pip), it means gamifying the process and assigning points to certain tasks or achievements—10 points for an hour spent writing, or for each 1,000 words written, for example—and using those points to purchase some predetermined rewards like feeding your lavender iced latte addiction (20 points) or going to the movies to see Barbie for the third time (50 points should be Kenough for this, but maybe popcorn costs an extra 20).
Main Character Energy
To figure out how to get yourself back on track, start by treating yourself like a character in one of your books. That’s right, you’re the main character now, so start acting like it. On a sticky note, in your phone’s notes app, or in one of the dozens of pretty notebooks I know you’ve got lying around waiting for the perfect opportunity, write down your answers to the following questions:
What is your goal? What concrete objective are you trying to accomplish with your writing? Is it finishing your first draft? Getting your manuscript into queryable shape? Improving your writing skills? Writing a book proposal? Rediscovering your love of writing in general?
What is your motivation? What do you love most about writing? What keeps you going, and what is it you’re most excited to get back to? Is it the characters you can’t stop thinking about, or a certain plot point? Is it the drive to share your work with the world? Is it that sense of accomplishment you’re craving? What makes you feel great after a productive writing session?
What conflict is getting in the way of you and your goal? Is it lack of time? Work stress? Writer’s block? Lack of confidence? Procrastination? Meditate for a few minutes on what’s truly stopping you from writing.
Now that you know these answers, you can start taking action. Consider this your inciting incident, my pals. Your call to adventure. Will you choose the high heel, or the Birkenstock? (I vibed hard with the Barbie movie, okay? I swear this newsletter contains no spoilers.)
Think about your conflict, that thing that’s getting in the way of you and your writing, at its very core. What does that problem boil down to?
Look, I even made it a poll, because I like clicking buttons and maybe you do too.
If you chose A: Stupid real-life stuff…
When real life gets in the way, consistent action toward your goal is how you build back your momentum and make writing a priority in your life again. Otherwise it’s just talk. Action is what matters here, and it’s a great place to bring in your answer to that second main-character question of motivation.
If you’re motivated by the idea of your future as a published author, make a vision board and display it somewhere prominent, or use positive affirmations to get your aspirations and your subconscious on the same level. If it’s your characters that motivate you, then skip ahead in your book’s plot to write a scene you can’t stop thinking about instead of trying to get to it chronologically.
On a day to day basis, I’m often motivated to keep going by a sense of creative fulfillment and accomplishment, and I find that being able to see my own progress, to stand on top of a mountain and see how far I’ve come, helps me take a shortcut to this feeling. This is where my tendency to hyper-organize comes in handy, and I use a planner, a habit tracker, outlines, and sometimes spreadsheets to show myself how much I’ve achieved when I start to stall out. If your brain works like this in the slightest, I recommend it for you too.
If you’re interested in trying my methods, check out my downloadable, printable Writer’s Planner set on Etsy (use the code PENPALS at checkout for 50% off between now and the end of August!), which contains some great resources to help you stay accountable, motivated, and on track. Otherwise, experiment with spreadsheets, sticky notes, to-do lists, marking an X on your calendar, building a Pip-style gamified points/rewards system, or whatever it takes to keep yourself moving forward. The goal here, remember, isn’t top-tier quality work (and we’ll touch more on this in a minute), but forward momentum.
As you start to build that momentum, it will get easier and easier, I promise.
If you chose B: The writing itself…
Here’s where that first main-character question comes in. Look back on your goal: Does it revolve around writing in general, or is it based on a specific project?
If it’s based on the former, it might mean it’s time to take a step back from any existing projects and hone those writing skills.
Tackle a short story prompt (the WritingPrompts subreddit always has a ton of good ones!) to get your imagination churning and try something new.
Make a commitment to write at least three sentences in your journal every day.
Keep an "observations" note in your phone where you jot down descriptions of nature you saw on your most recent hike, or lines of dialogue (real or imagined) that made you laugh.
Create a D&D character and start playing with friends to get back into creative storytelling mode.
Find some creators online, whether they make videos, blogs, podcasts, or newsletters (hey, that’s us!) about writing, and start learning from them. Engage and ask questions about what you’re struggling with, and if you find you need one-on-one help, consider a writing coach!
Every single one of the above suggestions means you can practice writing and learn more about creating without any pressure. It means you can start to rebuild your love of writing from the ground up. When you're ready to take it further, those writing muscles will be limber and ready to go.
But if your goal is based on a specific project, then you’re probably feeling at least some measure of writer’s block, and that’s what’s keeping you stuck.
Yuck. I’ve been there.
Something that gets my writing gears churning when I’m in a rut is engaging with other stories that inspire me. Reread a favorite book, or watch a movie or TV show you love the next time you’re feeling stuck. But do this for me: Take in these stories you love from a perspective of curiosity. Ask yourself, what is it that makes you love them so much? How exactly did those writers catch and hold your interest with the storytelling, characters, dialogue, and descriptions they used? Use them like a case study. Eventually, the inspiration will spill over, I promise. And when that moment comes, switch gears and start thinking about your story, the one you know you’re meant to be writing.
Next comes my favorite part of the process: Daydreaming. That’s right, pals, today daydreaming about your book counts as writing.
Imagine which actors will be cast to play your protagonists when the book is adapted to the screen.
Build a playlist of songs that remind you of your story and characters. Start listening to it every time you want to work on your book. You will eventually start to create a near-Pavlovian response to these songs, triggering your creativity whenever you hear them. (Yay science!)
Imagine your characters in ridiculous scenarios—the leads of your frozen-wasteland fantasy series stranded on a desert island, or you and the other prominent characters in your memoir on a long hiking trip. What is everyone doing in that scenario? How are they acting? What types of shenanigans and conversations, good or bad, does it lead to? Jot down a scene, or even just a few lines of dialogue, that won’t ever have to make it into the book. (Need a jumpstart? Check out my character questionnaire printable on Etsy, which is also eligible for 50% off between now and the end of August if you use the code PENPALS at checkout!)
Not all of a writer’s time is spent writing. And hey, that’s okay! The point of the above exercises isn’t to get you to finish your novel by the end of your next writing session; it’s to reignite the passion and creativity that made you want to be a writer in the first place. Fall back in love with your craft, and then fall back in love with your project.
You’ll know it’s working when you feel that spark again. It means it’s time to dive back in.
Embrace Your Shitty Writing
Whether you’ve got a strong writing routine already or you’re just getting back on the horse (I’m resisting another Barbie reference so hard right now), if I could give one piece of writing advice to any writer, it would be this: It's okay to make shitty writing. In fact, I encourage it! You wrote a shitty first draft or finished a chapter even though it's not exactly what you wanted?
GOOD! I'm really fucking proud of you!
Giving yourself permission to suck is one of the most liberating things you can do for your imagination—and for your own growth as a writer. Writing something awful is better than writing nothing at all, because by pushing through even when it's not up to your standards, you're still writing. You're still creating. You're still giving those ideas a garden plot where they can take root and grow, and when the time comes for you to harvest them, you'll have more practice, more experience, and a much clearer idea of what to do with them.
This week, I’m challenging you to refresh your love affair with your writing, whatever that means for you.
You’ve got this.
P.S. Here are a few books I’ve read recently that have sparked inspiration in me:
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson is a kind, cozy tale of pirates, friendship, true love, and believing in yourself. It’s also an amazing study of humorous writing, worldbuilding, and authorial intrusion, in which the narrator of the book is also a side character who has opinions on the story as it’s happening (And if you’ve read some of Sanderson’s other works, you might just recognize the narrator!). Sanderson wrote this book for his wife during the early days of lockdown after they watched The Princess Bride together, and to me, it really showcases what an established author can be capable of when they try something new and step outside of the rigid boxes their career has placed them in.
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is a speculative novel about a too-close-to-real-life dystopian America where the for-profit prison system holds and televises gladiator-style death matches between prisoners as a form of athletic entertainment. I honestly think everyone should read this book, but especially if you’re planning on writing heart-pounding action sequences or a literary book with sociopolitical themes. This book made me feel an incredible amount of passionate rage toward the system, while still making me root for and care deeply about the characters.
Seven-Figure Fiction by T. Taylor is a nonfiction resource by a successful romance author who discusses how to find the universal fantasies that lie at the heart of every successful story. What is boils down to is learning what your audience wants and determining how to build those desires and fantasies into your writing. This book is not my #1 favorite when it comes to writing style, but the nuggets of information you’ll get in here about marketing are truly valuable for any writer who wants to learn more about reaching and connecting with their audience. (I know Pip will back me up when I say it’s truly one of the most important keys to crafting success as an author.)
What books have you read recently that have inspired you?