What moves us to write? And how can we hold onto that spark long enough to actually write something decent?
Ironically enough, the idea for this blog post arose from my own reluctance to sit down and write it. Recently, I've been reluctant to do much creative work, especially now that I'm facing the last week of school and have to study my little heart out if I want to get perfect grades on my exams like I did last semester. As a result, I haven't been motivated to write outside of a few movie reviews and little prompts that have gone absolutely nowhere. Now that I'm finally at the keyboard again, I feel like it's time we discuss inspiration and how to pick yourself back up after you've been knocked down creatively.
We all have our own muses. It might be a personal hero or a particular book or even a favorite dish. For me, it's usually music: especially bands that tell stories with their songs, like The Mountain Goats and The Antlers. My writing sometimes comes to reflect my music taste at the time it was written. However, only so much can be done with inspiration. After a certain point, you have to actually bring yourself to do the actual writing.
That's not to say you should totally expunge inspiration from the writing equation. Inspiration is vital to any writer: for some, it's what drives them to write in the first place. And you can find it almost anywhere. A strange sight or a bizarre dream is material enough for wonderful short stories or even novels if you can support it with enough ideas of your own (don't forget that the protagonist of Misery was inspired to write a novel again after seeing a kid pushing a shopping cart with a raccoon in it). Wanting to create because of something else in your life is an indescribable feeling, as well as an addictive rush that can only be placated by the act of creation. As someone who dabbles in three different creative fields (writing, visual arts, and music), I know what it feels like to be so inspired that I have to drop everything and start exorcising the creative demons.
However, everyone has their own special twist on things. And though inspiration is important, it's sometimes not impetus enough to pick up a pencil or open up a laptop and write. That's where the prompt comes in. For those of you unfamiliar with a prompt, it can be anything from a coupling of words to a detailed scenario that the writer must write a paragraph, page, or story for (I'm sure you did plenty about favorite foods and dream vacations in elementary school). It is one of the finest tools a writer can use-- and also one of the most frustrating.
How can something as innocuous and intangible as an idea be so infuriating? Well, because a prompt isn't always enough. Sure, I can write a short blurb about a world where there's no oceans, but if my heart's not into it, I won't really be writing. What do you do when even a prompt can't get you motivated? To tell you the truth: you get over it. Or you find a better prompt. But if you can't even bring yourself to write something as a prompt response, it may be time for a break. Writing breaks may sound frightening, especially now that the writing community is stressing the "write something everyday" policy, but they aren't as harmful as they sound. Take a day to relax your creative muscles. Pick up a magazine or a book. Play an instrument. Bake a cake. Go for a hike. Hang out with your friends. Give your mind, body, and soul a chance to replenish itself before diving back into things. Writing may be a hobby for some, but no one can do something everyday of their life without wanting a chance to breathe.
If you feel you want to tackle a prompt in order to get the creative juices flowing again, consider these tips, Find a prompt generator online. There are thousands of writing websites that offer these helpful little generators (who knows, maybe I'll create one eventually), ranging from three random words to novel ideas. Next, time yourself. Give yourself a minute for one, ten minutes for another, five for the next. This will force you to get your point across in a shorter amount of time and, therefore, exert more creative energy. If your hand has trouble keeping up, open up Word or Google Docs and type it out. For feedback, share your little drabble with a family member or friend and see how they respond.
If all else fails and you find yourself feeling you'll never write anything again, don't worry. I've experienced several of these crises of creative faith. Sometimes it's hard to bring yourself to write if you're feeling anxious about work or school or a situation beyond your control. Struggling with a mental illness like depression or anxiety can make writing on a daily basis exponentially more difficult. My advice is to try to write something everyday-- hold on, I'm not done yet. It can be six words on the back of a napkin during your lunch break. It can be your observations about your friend's behavior in the Notes app on your phone. It can be a comment on a video you like. As long as you put words on a paper or screen, feel free to congratulate yourself. And once you feel like writing seriously again, reward your efforts. Writing isn't easy, especially if sometimes you don't even want to get out of bed, let alone crack open a notebook.
Finally, never feel trapped by writing. It's not a punishment. Writing should feel liberating and personal, even if you are just responding to a prompt or pontificating about a celebrity. It may be difficult, you may want to quit, but never, ever give up. Write bad things. Write awful things. But keep writing. And don't stop until you're satisfied.
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