This sounds like a strange question–do you love what you do? But if we are honest, and if we’ve done this for any length of time, there are times in our writing journey when we can say we’ve fallen out of love with what we do. We’ve grown weary. If I’m describing you, I want to tell you that you are not alone. Here are a few things I’ve learned about being in this place.
Refreshing Your Writing Journey
Doing anything for a long time means it can get old. We can grow weary in well-doing. So, how do you fall in love again? How do you rekindle that passion you once knew?
- Link arms with other writers. There is nothing more powerful in reigniting your passion than being with others who “get you.” So make plans to attend a writers’ conference, join a critique group, and be a part of an online writers’ group so you can be reminded of why you do what you do.
- Reread those emails, notes, and cards from fans. I have a file where I print and save these precious reminders of why I write.
- Write something new. If you are a fiction writer, write an article using some of your research. If you are a non-fiction writer, write an article using creative fiction techniques. Sometimes just writing outside our norm can rekindle those creative juices.
- Examine your motives. Now I know I’m stepping on toes, but I know that until I identified what success meant to me, I wore myself out striving to reach an undetermined goal. So what is your measure of success?
- Finally, a lot of us think we are really busy when all we are doing is spinning our wheels and not accomplishing very much. So look at your time. Yes, 80% of our time is spent in marketing and the business side of the writing life, but have you set aside that 20% of your time for writing? If you aren’t spending quality time actually doing what gives you joy, then your joy-jar will be empty in no time. So set aside that time and get writing again. Soon you will find a renewed passion for what you do–and you’ll fall in love all over again.
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Select one of the steps mentioned above and begin your writing journey again with passion and energy.
