Nothing to Write About? Write Anyway.
How to write when you feel uninspired or unmotivated.
I found a love for writing in my early twenties (it freaks me out that I can now differentiate between periods within my 20s, but that’s a freak out for another day). My writing started with journal writing, then professional social media writing, closely followed by copywriting. From there I started editing fiction and nonfiction pieces in a writing group. Now I’m dabbling in memoir writing and writing about topics in psychology (with a promise to myself to take part in NaNoWriMo 2020!).
As my love for writing grew, and I discovered Medium I thought this is great — the perfect platform for someone like me who doesn’t love posting on Instagram or Facebook but still has something to share.
I wrote for a few months, then stopped entirely. I ran out of things to write about. I had no idea what wanted to say, why I wanted to say it, or who my writing was for.
At first, I assured myself it was temporary writer’s block, or I was simply too busy. Another few months later, I realized it was worse than writer’s block; it was a complete lack of direction and purpose for something I used to love.
I researched topics in psychology that came up in my Master's classes, and topics related to my life, hoping to find something that sparked the inspiration to write. In doing so, I lost interest in topics that initially piqued my interest, or I realized dozens of other writers already covered the topic and I couldn’t think of a new perspective.
It wasn’t until one day toward the end of the workday when I grabbed my computer and typed out my experience with the psychological difficulties that held me back from sharing good news (acceptance into a competitive university) that I found myself in the throes of writing again. I can’t explain what moved me to write, or how this little bolt of inspiration came my way. The piece wasn’t very good, but I was writing again.
What I realized from that random jolt of writing was that writing doesn’t happen in the abstract. It doesn’t happen when you sit there procrastinating work you should do, thinking about something to write about. It doesn’t happen when you can’t fall asleep, so you try to think of topics to write about. Writing happens by writing.
Now I sit down every single morning, and I just write for about 20 minutes. Some days I only manage 5 minutes. It doesn’t matter if what I write is total garbage I would never publish, it’s the act of writing every day that allows me to do what I love and keep doing it.
Now and then a sentence or idea will come out that sparks something I do want to share. I’ll take that one line and run with it to see if I can turn it into something of value to other people. This process brings about a new set of challenges, but the best part is; I get to write.
It doesn’t matter if I feel unmotivated or have nothing to say. I don’t have to sit there and brainstorm relevant and interesting topics, I just get to write.
No inspiration or motivation? No Problem.
Some tips if you want to write but keep getting stuck:
- Get yourself to the keyboard or journal. Just like exercise, the hardest part of writing can be the act of showing up. Don’t wait for the mood to strike you, just start.
- Read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
- Find the best writing time for you (mine is first thing in the morning ((with a strong cup of coffee)), figuring this out changed everything for me!)
- If you feel inspired to write, go write! (this is a good way to find your best writing time)
- Stick with your time when you find it! Building a habit takes time and repetition.
- Take your writing window seriously by limiting distractions (write offline if you find yourself too distracted by websites and social media). Also, remind yourself a break is coming and enjoy the precious window of time you’ve given to yourself to write. The day gets busy and this time belongs to you.
- Make your writing window much smaller than you might think necessary. 20 minutes of uninterrupted writing flow is way more powerful and fruitful than 2 hours hemming and hawing about what to write about (and getting distracted). Stephen King gets most of his writing done between 8:00–8:30 AM and many other writers have talked about the benefits of small writing windows.
- If you have an idea for something you want to write about but you’re busy, use the notes app on your phone to jot down the idea. But…
- Don’t worry if an idea escapes you before you have time to write or isn’t panning out the way you’d hope. Let it go and let your mind relax. If the idea is in there, it will come back to you (the unstressed you).
- Use some daily routine tips from accomplished writers:
I’ll leave you with two quotes about the writing process to inspire you and keep going when you’re feeling unmotivated or like you have nothing worthwhile to say.
“There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly: sometimes it’s like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.”
~ Ernest Hemingway
“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.”
~ Barbara Kingsolver
