Is Your Love for Writing in Cardiac Arrest?

Okay, let’s be brutally honest.

Writing isn’t always fun. Sometimes finishing a manuscript can be downright painful. The whole time.

Years ago, I was writing a book that was taking way too long and demanding way too much energy. I wasn’t feeling the love. Mid-project, my writers group was gathered at Karen Bouchard’s house. We were sitting around the table discussing our various writing projects when I shared my true feelings.

“Does anyone here actually enjoy writing?”

“I enjoy having written,” Karen replied.

Writing for me is a little like golf. I’m not a very good golfer (hopefully I’m better at writing than golfing), but it’s those occasional birdies and pars that keep me coming back.

In the same way, those rare moments when the nouns and verbs dance in poetic motion—that’s what keeps me coming back.

But what do you do when the birdies and pars are few and far between?

How do you recover the joy of writing?

Maybe you’re halfway through your manuscript but now you dread sitting at your computer. It’s downright painful.

Today, I’m going to share some tips on how to find the (writing) love after it’s gone.

Let’s resuscitate your love for writing!

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Six Ideas to Resuscitate Your Love For Writing

It’s impossible to feel the love in your writing all the time. But it is possible to unearth gems of joy that will keep you going.

Here are six ideas to bring joy back to your writing.

Idea #1. Write Anything

First of all, let’s get you back on the bicycle.

Take five minutes to write about something you really want to write about. Forget about your manuscript and let your imagination run wild.

Just write anything.

A couple of weeks ago I took a last-minute trip South Sudan. It was the craziest week of my life, which I’ll tell you about in an upcoming post. But halfway through the week, I realized I needed to journal the ridiculous week’s events.

In my hotel room, with the air conditioner blazing on high to suppress the searing heat outside, I sat down at my computer. Without delay, my fingers started tapping away, racing ahead of my thoughts. I’d stop for a moment, read, mumble “This is so crazy!” and keep going.

Pure joy!

Write what makes you laugh, cry, howl…whatever you love. Just write for fun. This activity helps bring you back to why you wanted to write in the first place.

Idea #2. Keep Your Eyes On The Prize

The devil is in the details. Literally.

Often the details of writing can overwhelm you and bog you down in your writing.

You may be saying to yourself:

“I still have 30,000 more words to write. How am I ever going to finish this??”

“Something’s wrong with my chapter, but I don’t know what it is.”

“Do I even have something to say?”

It can be paralyzing.

Slowly back away from your laptop before you fling it across the room. Sit in a comfy chair. Take a deep breath and slowly exhale.

Think about your audience. How will they benefit from your book? How will they be transformed? How will you alleviate their pain?

Perhaps your manuscript isn’t strong enough yet to answer these questions, but what are your aspirations for your book?

Unless you’re regurgitating someone else’s book (hopefully you know better), then you’re offering your readers a unique perspective on life. New insights to make their lives better. Perhaps even a touch with divinity.

Transcendence!

Readers need you—and only you can offer them something no one else can give.

Some people create vision boards and hang them in their workspace so that they can actively visualize their goals. If you have something that brings you back to the reason you started writing, spend some time with it before you start writing for the day.

You can bring yourself back into a joyful mindset by zooming out and remembering why you’re putting in the work in the first place.

Idea #3. Channel Your Inner Fan

You decided to become a writer (yes, you are a writer) because at some point, you thought, This thing I’ve written is pretty good!

Reread something you’ve written that makes you proud. Then give yourself permission to feel good about what you accomplished. Don’t overthink it or you’ll start to get critical and fall into the downward spiral.

You need these boosts of positivity and connection with your work to continue with the regular writing grind.

Idea #4. Move Through the Stress, Pain, and Frustration

I know, I know, I sound like a broken record.

Recently, the daughter of some close friends endured a miserable pregnancy—morning sickness, unexplainable weight gain, swelling—with the pièce de résistance: preeclampsia. The baby was born six weeks early and the mother almost died.

But the little boy is beautiful and the pride of his parents. Would they go through the pregnancy again, knowing the stress that was ahead? It’s probably too early to answer. Perhaps after the boy becomes an adult. But I’m sure at some point down the road, they’ll both answer “YES!”

All too often, we believe the lie that stress, pain, and frustration are the worst things that can happen to us. They aren't. When we approach them with the right mindset they can bring change, growth, and new insights to the meaning of our lives.

Some of the best books are the product of pain.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, Thomas Nelson re-released my book Battle Prayers last February. Twenty years ago, when my co-author and I began working on it, I was recovering from a devastating work situation and my coauthor was the grieving the death of his wife.

Writing the book brought unexpected joy and healing into our lives.

Welcome the pain. Make it your friend. Then finish the manuscript.

Just. Finish. The. Manuscript.

Idea #5. Hang a Carrot on the End of The Stick

Everybody likes a reward for a job well done.

I've discovered that rewarding myself after hitting a deadline or finishing a chapter of a difficult manuscript works wonders.

Here are some ideas:

• Eat a piece of chocolate.
• Take a walk or go on a run.
• Call a friend.
• Take the rest of the day off.
• Go out for dinner.
• Watch a Netflix movie (only for the significant deadlines or you’ll never finish your manuscript).

I’m one of those people who will start a to-do list and then write down tasks I’ve already accomplished just so I can cross them off my list.

You could create a progress bar or post a calendar so you can cross out every day you meet your writing goal.

The endorphin rush that accompanies an achieved deadline will hopefully spark joy.

Find what works for you—just make sure that you find a way to make writing fun for yourself. Some trial and error may be necessary, but it’s well worth your time.

Idea #6. Seek Out An Outside Voice

Far too often, we get so close to our manuscripts that we lose perspective. At that point we start to question our work, our writing abilities, sometimes even our identity.

You need to stop being so hard on yourself.

What you need is someone who will give you helpful, life-giving feedback.

That's where Illumify comes in.

Before you give up on your manuscript, or you're just struggling to find the motivation to write—let's talk.

You might only need to make a few tweaks to propel your manuscript forward and experience the joy of writing once again!

Click here to schedule a strategy session—and let's explore the possibilities of your book idea.

Let’s bring your book to life!