How to Keep Joy in the Writing Process
Because even our favorite hobbies can turn into chores in winter
When I participated in NaNoWriMo, I found I lost the feeling of joy writing usually brings me. Fifty thousand words was a great goal and I intend to take part again next year, but I know I’ll need to do things differently. The experience illuminated some ways writing brings me joy and some ways it doesn’t.
At the beginning of November, I had a sense of structure. Towards the end of the month, I found myself frantically writing at odd hours when I had a free moment, desperately trying to reach my word count goal. Sometimes I’d write in the kitchen waiting for water to boil for tea, or on the floor of my living room between stretches. It’s no wonder I burnt out and was no longer hitting my daily goal…
Having structure can keep the joy in the writing process.
Next year, I’m doing NaNoWriMo a little differently by creating a writing window every day. Sure, I’ll still open my laptop when inspiration strikes, but having a set writing window in my day will give me the breathing room I need to enjoy myself. I’m starting that daily writing window now, but expanding it come November 2021.
Setting can re-spark the joy of the writing process.
I don’t care if it makes me the most basic, but give me a desk facing a window with a decent view, an ergonomic desk set up (laptop stand and wireless keyboard), a comfy (but structured) chair, and a large cup of coffee in my favorite mug and I feel excited to write. This setting doesn’t always produce great writing, but it leads to more enjoyment of the writing process than begrudgingly opening a word doc on my laptop during my third hour on the couch, hip aching from the awkward positions I unconsciously morph into.
I agree to an extent with the writers who say that being too fussy about the perfect writing environment can actually be a disadvantage. Ayelet Waldman talks about this in her book. A Room of One’s Own can really only go so far. There needs to be flexibility, not rigidity, in where you’re able to write, however, being comfortable brings joy to many a venture.
Perhaps it’s because I spent the last 3 years in a one-bedroom apartment with no room for a writing space, and the last 8 months living on the road, that having my own dedicated writing space means so much to me. My lap desk was a big part of my life during that time, as was waking up with pain in my neck and shoulders.
Putting a little care and attention into my environment before I write makes me feel worthy of my own writing space, especially on a gray winter day when happiness is at a seasonal low point.
Putting a little time and effort into making a writing space nice says I deserve this nice space, I deserve to be taken care of (by me) and I get to write whatever I want from this space. When my writing space gets really messy, I know it’s time for a self-reflective check-in (ideally before the chaos spreads to my entire living space). It’s easy to burry how we feel in winter, but that often leaves us climbing out of a hole come spring. A few moments to sit with how we feel can go a long way.
I get a lot of joy from sitting down at my dedicated work area to write, but sitting down in that spot can be daunting when I’m putting off a particular project...
Write what you want to write (and don’t stop journaling!)
I don’t always want to ‘work write’ but I almost always want to ‘fun write’, which for me is journaling. When I focused solely on my NaNoWriMo project, I ditched my journaling to use that time for the NaNoWriMo project. That was a big mistake.
My journaling is as fun and judgment/filter-free as my writing will ever get, and it’s a big part of the joy I get out of writing. I now set my journaling time in my schedule, non-negotiable. Some days it’s 5 minutes, other days it’s 20 minutes, but the option is always there for me, never taken away by something ‘more important’.
If writing is something you used to love, but lately has been feeling like a chore, think of what brings you joy, no matter how seemingly silly or small. Make your favorite tea, sit in your favorite spot, write a ridiculous story about aliens just because you want to — anything that is a no-strings-attached joy generator for you. The more serious writing will follow once you’ve brought joy back into the act of writing.
It’s okay to take a break from writing.
Just because you take a step back, doesn’t mean your writing career is over. I love to run, but I hate the cold (and I live in New England so cold means business). A week or two off in the dreary depths of February doesn’t mean I start from scratch on my next run. In fact, I’m much more grateful and energized when an unexpected non-bone-chilling day comes along and I can put on my sneakers again.
A break from writing might be just what you need. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that, so why not give it a try? Best-case scenario, you find the joy in writing again, worst-case scenario, you enjoy a well-deserved staycation.
