I didn’t work on any writing projects last month as I was tied up with the Blogging from A-Z Challenge. I have, once again, lost my writing mojo. Lately, life has seemed like a blur of work stress, family disasters, and one illness after another. When I’ve had a bit of spare time I’ve been prioritising my own health and spending quality time with family. But this month I really want to get back in the saddle and get writing and reading regularly again. It’s such a big part of who I am that I feel lost and unfulfilled when I don’t make time for it. I know I need to carve out a regular time for both activities rather than waiting for when I feel like it, but I am notoriously bad at making habits and sticking with them.
A few days ago, someone in my Facebook creative writing group was advertising their website, WriteMore. It’s a free site where you can set daily writing goals, track progress with statistics, set reminders to write, respond to prompts and join writing groups. I love productivity tools so it could help me get motivated again. I’ve signed up and I’ll let you know how it goes next month.
Writer Highs & Lows
This month’s optional question:
It’s the best of times; it’s the worst of times. What are your writer highs (the good times)? And what are your writer lows (the crappy times)?
The best times for me are when I’m completely in the “flow” of writing and ideas are just pouring out onto the page. The highlights of my writing journey so far have been when my stories have been selected for anthologies. Each time it was a surprise and boosted my confidence massively. The lows are what I’m going through right now-lack of motivation to write and feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy. The good thing is, I know by now that it’s only a phase and that “this too shall pass”.
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group post on the first Wednesday of every month. We want to help writers of all stages to overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support.
This month’s awesome co-hosts are: Kim Elliott, Melissa Maygrove, Chemist Ken, Lee Lowery, and Nancy Gideon!
Do you have any writing news or goals to share? Let me know in the comments!
We all go through that phase — several times a year, actually — and it always passes. Self-care is important, too 🙂
Ronel visiting for IWSG day Culling the To-Do List and the TBR
Yes, joining this group has made me realise I’m not alone in my struggles and that it’s ok for my motivation to ebb and wane.
Thank you for the tip about WriteMore, which I’m going to check out. I hope your writing low passes soon. It sounds as though you’re going through a lot, with the family disasters and work stress. I’ve found taking care of oneself after (and during) such times is essential for my writing. It’s all part of the process. Even if you aren’t hammering out 1500 words a day, you’re preparing to write, things are sitting inside, like dough rising. You’ll bake the bread when you’re ready.
Thanks, Kalpana. I love the dough rising analogy.
I have the same problem with writing. I’ll go for a while in a creative streak and then it dries up. So frustrating! I hope you get your mojo back soon though!
I used to feel like a failure for not sticking with a daily writing routine like all the famous authors recommend. But that just doesn’t work with my lifestyle. I try to use my bursts of energy and my long summer break to get most of my writing done. I may not write as much as I like, but it’s not worth stressing myself out over.