Last week, in a giant burst of creative energy, I wrote several posts and scheduled them to go up each morning, so didn’t have to think about the blog after last Wednesday. I knew I would be traveling Monday and Tuesday, and figured I could skip posting on Tuesday, but would be back into it by this Wednesday, no problem.
As you know, Wednesday didn’t happen. Then Thursday didn’t happen. Now it’s noon on Friday and I am literally forcing myself to type. Luckily, we’re heading into the weekend and the “Happy Quote” posts, so that will provide the break I need to get back on track.
Here’s the thing I’ve figured out about losing momentum – getting it back matters more than the outcome. I think we can all agree that this is far from the best entry ever posted on SpeakHappiness, but it exists. Writing it gets me past the hurdle of not writing it, even if I’m doing something as trivial as writing about writing it. Ooph! I have gone meta in the worst way.
The only way to get out of a slump is to get out of the slump. Do something – anything – to move past inertia. Don’t worry about the outcome, just move…or type…or cook…or read. Whatever will get you one micron closer to your goal. And if that doesn’t end the slump, do the same thing the next day. Motion, even a millimeter at a time, is better than stasis.
I hope this message finds you slump-free and well on your way to success. Moreover, I hope to join you there soon.
Your words are just what I needed to hear right now… thank you. 🙂
Thanks! Happy to help.
Great blog! Sometimes you just have to push through it. Been there.
I have momentum going – except for a bad habit to stay up too late AFTER something fun. I guess I need to wind down.
No matter. Tomorrow, whatever time I get up, is when writing time begins.
Novels are marathons, not sprints like blog posts. You have to be there, day in, day out, whether you feel like it, or not, BUT I find the more I do it, the more I feel like it, and the better ideas come. I am so happy I’ve found a method which removes the drama: I sit down, block the internet for 300 min, and the brain says, “Okay – this is what we do now,” and produces.
Because of the CFS, it usually needs a nap in the middle of my writing time. Now, when I feel it coming, I just tuck myself happily into bed for a nalf hour because I know when I get up we will be writing well again.
I love having found a system to keep my momentum going.
G’night!
300 minutes! You are brave. I think I would go into withdrawl. I also tend to stay up way too late. We’ll watch a movie on TV that ends close to midnight, and I’ll click over to the late shows for no reason — shows I otherwise almost never watch, just to stay up a little longer. It’s crazy. I think the writer’s brain just needs more processing time. Some refer to this as the “distraction phase” of writing. I can buy that.
Congrats on the system. Glad you’ve got the momentum to keep going.
Thanks, Ray!