How I Keep My Writing Going When I Am Not In The Mood

byChrisTowers

4.5K followers

2 weeks ago

One of the most important things I have learned since joining WA is that writing is not always easy. Especially before the days of the AI assistance we now get, back then it could be really damn difficult.

Some days you could sit down and the words would flow straight away. Other days you stare at the screen and nothing at all feels right.

I used to think this meant I was doing something wrong, but as time passed by I realised it is pretty normal for everyone.

What helped me was finding easy ways to keep moving forward even when I was not in the perfect frame of mind. Just small things that made things a bit easier. I still do that today too.

The first thing that helps me is starting with something light. If I sit down and try to write a full post straight away, it feels really hard. Even when using the WA authors, it takes me a good 2 or 3 hours to get the post as I want it. And that is just the text.

So, I open my notes and read through any ideas I saved earlier. Most of the time, just seeing a few things I wrote down beforehand is enough to get things going. It takes away the pressure of coming up with something new right there and then.

Another habit I picked up is writing a rough opening sentence without worrying about how good it sounds. Even if it is not perfect, it gives me something to build on. Once I start typing, the rest usually starts to follow. What matters is getting past that first stuck moment.

Something else that helps me is breaking my writing up into short parts. Instead of thinking of a whole post, I look at one small section. A few lines here, a few lines there. It feels lighter and a lot less stressful. You end up with more than you expect by the time you look back.

I also like to read something simple before I start writing. Not training, not long articles. Just something light inside WA or a quick look at what others are working on. It gets my mind warmed up. Sometimes a comment or question from another member gives me good ideas!

Another thing I do is let myself stop before I get tired. If I keep pushing when I am drained, the quality drops and writing becomes a chore, and I hate that. But if I stop while things are still flowing, I look forward to the next session. It helps me to stay positive!

I also learned not to judge my writing while I am doing it. If I start thinking too early about whether something is good enough, I lose my flow. I keep all of the editing for the end. It is much easier for me to fix a paragraph than to create one from nothing.

One of the biggest changes for me was realising that you do not need to feel inspired every single day. Even ten minutes of writing or thinking about your next idea is enough to keep things moving forward.

When you build this kind of consistency, the difficult days do not slow you down as much.

At the end of the day, writing is like any other habit. Some days feel better than others, but what matters most is showing up. The small sessions all add up. The light warm ups help. And the days where you write even a tiny bit still push you forward.

What about you? Do you have any tips for us all here that you use on the days when writing feels harder?

Thanks all and I hope you have a great day!

Chris