catjuan:

“I’m not sure if you have answered this before, but… what do you do to keep yourself inspired to write? I’m kinda in that zone now. Thanks! :D” – formspring

Oooh… this is a good one. Bottom line: discipline. Treat writing like you would any other job that must be done.

If it’s for your…

Good one Cat! Gosh, this is actually quite helpful as I am experiencing the dreaded writer’s block as we speak. I also just write too (tip #1) to get things started, but I don’t think I have tried writing drunk. Thank you for that tip, haha, I am seriously this close to opening a bottle of wine! 

It really is difficult to write when you don’t feel like it. There is no easy way around it, and no matter what: a deadline is a deadline. I wanted to share a few of my own tips that have worked for me in the past. And I may need to apply these to myself (right now) as another article’s deadline is fast approaching.

Exercise. I run or go to a yoga class when I can’t write. I keep thinking my writer’s block probably has something to do with poor circulation or my heart not pumping enough from sitting at my desk the whole day. True enough, (most of the time) after exercising, my head feels clearer and my thoughts more put together. 

Get your mind off writing. The worst thing you can do when you cant write is to panic. I’ve done this (a lot) in the past and there’s really no good that comes out of it. So, I’ve learnt to walk around, watch television or pick up a book. Inspiration can come to us quickly when we’re looking for it. An image we see or a phrase we read can immediately get us in our writing element.

Read your old work. This personally works for me, I don’t exactly know why. Maybe because I forget that I wrote the articles I’ve written, and its like I’m reading them for the first time. I guess trying to remember the time when I was so inspired, inspires me, if that makes any sense. 

** Thank you for these tips Cat! I am such a fan of your blog. 🙂 (CLICK ON: A Writing Funk, to read Cat Juan’s full blog entry.) 

: A Writing Funk