Salutations fellow writer! Thanks for stopping by. So you’re having difficulty doing that thing where you press buttons on your keyboard and really good words appear on the computer screen? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. And boy does it suck!
When it happens, it can feel like you’ve lost a part of yourself. That the witty, insightful, charming part of your brain has blown away in the wind, leaving you alone with your judgmental and hyper-critical voices.
When I lost my writing mojo recently, it felt like it would go on forever. That my writing career was over before it had begun. And in that despair I very nearly resigned myself to life as a smooth-brained ape, cackling at Reddit memes and wanking myself into oblivion.
But somehow I emerged from the darkness, mojo in hand, like a fucking hero (admittedly, I still cackle and wank, but at normal human levels). So if you too have lost your writing mojo, here is a helpful guide on how to claw yourself out of your rut and find your inspiration.
Two-Stage Plan
So this is a two-stage plan. The reason being: your “rut” and your “lost mojo” (i.e. your passion, your inspiration) are separate things. I know it might not seem like it. And it is true they can influence and exacerbate each other. But in most cases your rut will have been dug by more than just a lack of writing mojo. And the search for your mojo should continue long after you are out of your rut.
The first stage of the plan requires you to perform an honest self-assessment of your life both in and outside of writing. This will help you to identify who or what has dug the rut and how to get out of it. The second stage is to go find your mojo, to identify a passion that you can explore with your writing. As whenever you pursue a passion, it returns to you more energy than you expend in the pursuit of it.
That said, let’s get down to it.
"...writer's block is usually symptomatic of wider lifestyle issues."
Stage One: Self-Assessment
In one of my favourite poems, Autobiography in Five Chapters by Portia Nelson, Portia walks down a road and falls down a hole. The first time, it takes her “forever” to find her way out. It doesn’t end there. She repeats this behaviour, developing an ever-greater level of insight every time she falls down that same hole. That is until in chapter five when she decides to “walk down another street”.
Remarkable in its simplicity, Autobiography in Five Chapters is a succinct and insightful look into the nature of habit. In a nutshell, humans tend to repeat the same negative behaviours over and over. Think how many of us say “never again” every time we have a killer hangover! However, these bad habits are usually symptomatic of a deeper pain or dissatisfaction.
If you find yourself falling down the same hole over and over again, it may be because you’re unhappy with your current situation. Maybe your job sucks hairy gorilla balls, or your relationship status isn’t the one you want, or you don’t get enough “you time”. If you want to get out of the rut, it’s important to first identify what is bumming you out. You more than likely already have an inkling as to what it is. It’s probably that desire you keep dismissing as selfish.
Once you have identified it, your first instinct will be to blame the thing. The job, the relationship status, the lack of time. But this doesn’t do you any good, because you cannot control these things. The only thing you can control is you. To this end, the turn in the poem occurs in chapter three when Portia realises:
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
Just like Portia, once you accept responsibility for your situation, you bestow upon yourself the power to change it. It’s no longer something happening to you, but something you can influence. It’s going to be hard, but with time and effort, you’ll able to pull yourself out of the rut.
"Being outside the rut is an act of continual courage."
Stage 2: Finding Your Mojo
Now you’re out of the rut, the first thing you’re going to want to do (unconsciously that is) is jump back in. And if you’re not vigilant, you will. For the rut is at the same time both a place of self-loathing and also a place of safety. Being outside of the rut is an act of continual courage.
One of the ways to avoid jumping back in the rut is to, as Portia says, ‘walk down another street.’ The act of choosing to set your life on another path is no small feat. But it sure can be exciting.
When choosing your new path, it is important to select one based upon your passions, and not one that will lead to another regrettable routine. As a writer, now is a good idea to use your writing to explore subjects that really get your juices flowing. It can be anything - literally anything! - just as long as it excites YOU. Here are some suggestions to help you identify your passion:
A Muse: Is there a person or people in your life that fascinate you. Personally, I draw a lot of energy and inspiration from my friends, and it is they that inspired my latest novel, MAD MONKEYS!
A Theme, Premise or Idea: Do you have a worldview that sustains you and which you would like to explore in further detail? Clichés are sometimes a good place to start. For example, are you the kind of person who believes “everything happens for a reason”? Well that just might be the premise of your next novel. I used this approach for my first novel, The Messiah Caravan, exploring the idea of how far people would go to ensure their own survival.
A Place/Time: Is there a certain time and place in history that thrills you? 1920’s Paris. Swinging Sixties Britain. Modern day America. This could be a chance to learn about an era that has always fascinated you. And also a chance to rewrite history! I've always had a soft spot for 1920's Paris - Hemingway, Fitzegerald, Stein, and the like - and this has formed the inspiration for my WIP.
Finally, it is important to remember that finding your mojo is an active pursuit. If you sit back and wait for the clouds to part and the stars to align, you could be waiting a very long time indeed. Stagnation is a sure-fire way back into the rut!
A good way to avoid stagnation is to set up a healthy writing routine. We will be discussing writing routines in the weeks to come, so make sure to subscribe in order to be notified of future blog posts!
Over to You!
Well there we go. I hope that was helpful. I realise now that a big portion of this post was not writing related. Sorry! But I truly believe that writer’s block is usually symptomatic of wider lifestyle issues. Remember: If writing isn’t inspiring you like it usually does, it might be because right now life isn't inspiring you like it usually does.
And if you've found your writing mojo and are looking for some handy tips on writing your magnum opus, why not check out this post: How To Write a Novel: My 5 Top Tips.
Anyway, over to you. I wish you well on your writing journey. Remember to let me know how you get out of a writing rut in the comments below. Your advice is always appreciated!
Happy writing! x
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