Writing While Uninspired

August 27, 2018 / Motivation and the Writing Life / 12 COMMENTS

Lion yawning.

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

What is inspiration?  I don’t think ‘inspiration’ is synonymous with ‘ideas’.  I get ideas and don’t feel necessarily inspired.

To me, inspiration is more of that creative rush or creative energy and passion. It’s being in the zone and writing until your wrists and hands are numb or sore.  It’s trying to jot down a tsunami of ideas or even a whole plot before it disappears into the far reaches of your brain.

I rarely write while feeling inspired. When I write, I usually feel as though I’m working very hard at it. But the end result still works out…there’s still life in my words and in my characters. The dialogue can even still be funny (I write humorous mysteries), even if I’m not ‘feeling it.’

I think the whole concept of the muse does something of a disservice to writers. It may make writers feel as though they need to write when inspiration strikes instead of simply making time every day/week to make progress on their stories, regardless of how they’re feeling.

How do I make progress without inspiration? 

First off, the outline must be complete and solid. Am I inspired when working on my outline?  Again, not particularly.  The number one question I ask myself all the way through the outlining process is: what would appeal to my readers? What would they like to see in the story? What character might they like to see more of?  Being reader-focused helps me to create a good outline.  If you don’t outline:  At least know what you want to cover for the next writing session.  Just one or two sentences can give you enough direction to keep you from stalling out.

Next, I make sure I show up every day.  For you, it may be that you show up weekly or twice a week.  Whatever your goal is, make it happen.

Change up the routine if needed.  On days when I haven’t gotten as much accomplished (which can happen when I’m not feeling especially driven to write), I make a point to switch up my routine a little.  This usually means that I tack on an additional writing session at another point in my day.  It nearly always means that I go to another location to write (library or coffeeshop, for me).

Make sure the story sparkles during revisions.  One way I do this is by rereading well-written passages of mine from previous works.  I fix anything in my current manuscript that seems flat.

Most importantly: keep filling that creative well.   As I wrote in this post in June, it’s one thing writing while uninspired and it’s another to write when you’re actively burned out.  Forcing the words out makes for wooden words.  I make sure that not only I’m well-rested, eating well, and generally taking care of myself, but also that I make time to enjoy the products of other artists’ creativity and that I give myself some quiet time to just think. More on that in a series of posts soon.

I write books this way every day. The creativity is there. The fervor is not. But I love my characters, take pride in my work, and respect my readers. When I keep at it daily, there may not be inspiration, but there is rhythm.  And I  can work with rhythm.

For further reading and other ideas for those times you’re uninspired, see these posts:

How to Get Into the Mood to Write Daily by Now Novel

7 Tips for the Uninspired by Brooke Warner

How inspired are you when you write?  How do you stave off burnout?

Writing While Uninspired: Share on X

Photo credit: puliarf on Visual hunt / CC BY

  1. If I waited until I was in the mood, I’d never write. Usually I’m in the mood once I’ve been writing for a while though, so it’s all about sitting down and just doing it.

  3. I like your ideas, Elizabeth. The key is, I think to write on a regular basis. That gives you that daily discipline to get things done. I sometimes find, too, that when I open that document, even when I’m not inspired, and start looking at it, I find ways to make it better, the story gets going, and that work actually sparks me, if that makes sense.

  4. Hi Elizabeth – I can see the drawbacks … but I love writing from something that’s inspired me. Though sometimes get sidetracked and then need to get off the bus and do something slightly different … you’ve got your writing way of life and that’s great news … for us and for you – cheers Hilary

  5. “The creativity is there. The fervor is not.”

    That’s a great way to describe what writing every day feels like.

    But when the fervor IS there…that’s the best.

    Getting both types of days (with fervor and without) seems like a good recipe to sustain a profitable writing career without burning out.

    1. You’re absolutely right! And I do get both, but I’d say that I start out uninspired 75% of the time. The muse strikes while I’m writing probably 25% of the time. And then sometimes I get an idea at an odd time of day and write inspired…which is wonderful. :)

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