Middle Tennessee was essentially attacked by an incredibly rude snow/ice storm that had us homebound for a few days. I’ve written about the cold days and the hot days but persevering through the snowy days was another beast. It was so wet and cold that I just felt stuck. No motivation. No inspiration. Just a dullness. It seemed like a perfect time to come up with more methods for beating the writing doldrums.
So, how do you keep writing when everything feels frozen in place?
When I made it back out to the stables to take care of the horses, it was still so cold and gross that I couldn’t stay outside for very long without being utterly miserable. I’d go outside for ten to fifteen minutes to complete tasks, then run back into the heated office, and I’d stay there for the same amount of time. I went back and forth until everything was done.
Try the in-and-out method for writing. Set up your writing space. Don’t bother making it comfy or cozy. This is your “out.” Next, set up an inviting space. Maybe there’re snacks and drinks or a good book you’re reading. This is your “in.” You can either set a timer for the amount of time you have to spend “out” – aka, working – or set a word count goal that you have to reach before you’re allowed back “in.”
Don’t take yourself too seriously! Be silly with it and laugh at yourself. Endorphins are good for writing. The change of scene and atmosphere can be a great mood boost, and it will help keep you from checking out mentally if you feel stuck or trapped at your workspace.
If setting up your two spaces feels like too much work, try taking a very specific sort of break. At the end of one of my miserably cold workdays, some friends of mine were sledding on a hill nearby. I hate the snow and was obviously sick of it by that point, but I took a few turns on the sled with them and had a great time.
If your writing feels like torture, take a thirty-minute break, and go do something you don’t typically do. That might look like running an errand you don’t normally run, having a dance party, or a (brief!) phone call to someone you don’t often speak with. Bonus points if it’s something that makes you a little nervous or excited.
When you get back to your workspace, spend a few minutes writing about what you did. Make it sad or dramatic or melancholy, but make it a story, and tease some life back into your brain as you let it focus on something besides your book but still in a writing capacity. When you start feeling loose, shift back to your book and see what happens!
For the days when discipline is nowhere to be found and inspiration has fled, see what a little ingenuity can do for your productivity.
