Are you in a writing slump? Is your passion for writing ebbing or lost?
It’s something writers face now and then and something I’ve gone through. Interestingly, a fellow writer emailed me that she was in the same situation.
So, I thought it’d be a good topic to address.
What happened to our passion for writing?
Firstly, Cambridge Dictionary defines passion as “an extreme interest in or wish for doing something such as a hobby, activity, etc.”
That “etc.” includes work, especially when it pertains to creativity, like painting, music, and writing.
Passion helps creativity flow.
As a writer, passion allows you to sit and type away. The ideas flow. The words flow. The sentences, paragraphs, and chapters flow. You enjoy the process. You’re thrilled when you create something from nothing.
Not that there aren’t glitches in your writing process even when the passion is alive and well, but you’re able to work through those glitches without becoming overwhelmed.
But what does it mean when a writer loses her passion for writing?
Keep in mind that I can’t speak for anyone but myself and, as it happens, my writing friend.
- It seems that the first thing to take a hike is the joy of writing, and it may even be replaced with a bit of guilt.
Instead of finding writing fun or interesting, it becomes a chore. And if you’re a professional writer, this can cause guilt.
When the passion is gone or taking a downturn, you don’t enjoy doing whatever it is any longer, in this case, writing. You end up gravitating toward other things. Perhaps you watch TV instead of sitting for hours writing. You may decide to work on a hobby or spend too much time on social media.
If this happens, your writing will quickly take a backseat to other things, thus the guilt.
- Next to take a hike are the ideas.
As a children’s ghostwriter and editor, my clients have the ideas for the stories, so that’s not a concern for me.
But having to promote books and writing services continually can become overwhelming.
The endless need to come up with ideas for blog posts every week to keep visible and bring people back to my author website can definitely be overwhelming at times.
Writing a blog post is time-consuming, at least for me. It can take me 2-4 hours per article. But to market effectively, it’s a necessity.
The lack of ideas is also my friend’s biggest challenge at the moment.
Creating articles comes down to: What hasn’t been said? What hasn’t been done?
When you’re running low on passion, these become BIG questions.
Writing, in general, is about writing the same things with a different spin or in a new light. But even that becomes old when your passion is running low.
- Motivation also takes a hit.
While passion is an extreme desire to do something, motivation is a “general desire or willingness to do something.”
Motivation is taking it down quite a bit from passion. So, when your lack of passion affects your motivation, you may have a problem.
If you’re a hobby writer, this is okay. You can do something else until you feel passionate about writing again. You can watch TV or take up another hobby.
But if you’re a professional writer with clients or deadlines, you’ll need to be careful.
It’s not hopeless, though.
What can you do when your passion for writing is lost?
- The first thing to do when you notice you’re low on writing passion is to figure out why.
Usually, the cause is overwork which leads to overwhelm. It might also be that you’re in a rut.
“A rut is a habit or pattern of behavior that has become dull and unproductive but is hard to change.”
Think it over.
Which category do you fall into?
- Once you know the cause, address it.
OVERWORK
If a major part of your loss of passion is overwork, determine how you might reduce your load.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed as a writer. The daily grind can be grueling. There are deadlines, working with clients, getting everything right, and so on.
If this is your problem, take steps to reduce your load.
-If you’re writing your own book, take a break. Make the break long enough to feel refreshed when you return to your writing.
-If you’re writing for a client, ask if you can extend the timeline. Another option is to not take on any more clients until you feel motivated again.
If you’re in control of your project time, break the project into smaller pieces.
Be aware of your feelings and pace yourself.
You might even hire subcontractors to help out until you get a handle on things again.
-If you’re working with an editor and can’t slow the pace, tough it out, and once done, take a break.
That’s the thing with writing; there’s always something to do. In addition to your writing, there’s marketing. It’s never-ending. It’s up to you to know your limits and to pace yourself so you don’t burn out.
A RUT
A rut is also easy to fall into. You may feel it’s become boring when doing the same things over and over.
If this happens, your productivity level may drop.
Depending on the situation, mix things up. Break up your writing sessions into short periods and do something enjoyable in between.
Doing something outdoors is usually revitalizing. It could be a walk or a little gardening.
You may like to draw or paint. Or you might enjoy playing music.
Mixing it up will help get you in a different mindset and out of the rut mode.
Another way to rekindle passion is to find people who inspire you. You might even consider getting a mentor. Talk to friends, relatives, or writing peers.
When your writing passion is ebbing, take steps to rev it up again.
Do you have other strategies to help when losing your writing passion?
I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, editor, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be author of, one that’s publishable and marketable. Or maybe you’d rather do-it-yourself. Check out my book, How to Write a Children’s Fiction Book. If your children’s manuscript is done and you need help self-publishing, check out Writers on the Move Press. You can contact me at: kcioffiventrice@gmail.com. Or give me a call at 834---347---6700. (Please leave a message - I'll get back to you as soon as I can.)
