Do you have Writer’s Funk? I’m not talking about writer’s block—if you have that you can read Write About Writer’s Block to Get Over Writer’s Block. What I’m talking about is getting in a funk. You have plenty to say, plenty of idea’s mulling around in your head, plenty of material to work from—you just don’t have the desire to write. You say, “But I’m a writer, I’m supposed to write.” Well, that’s true, but a writer’s funk does happen to everyone. It happened to Stephen King after his brush with death. I’m sure it’s happened to more well-known, published authors than we could shake a stick at.
So, what causes it? Well, there’s no definitive answer for that. I can only guess why it happens to other writers, and I can only summarize why it happens to me. It’s akin to burn-out I guess. I will share a few of my thoughts on the matter. If you have any you’d like to share, please feel free to comment. Writer’s should never feel guilty about writer’s block or writer’s funk, so let’s all share our experiences in case a fellow writer is going through the misery of feeling like a failure because he/she just doesn’t want to write.
Possible Causes:
*Writing non-fiction to make money while letting your fiction wither.
~Fiction writer’s often get caught-up in writing non-fiction until their fiction writing starts paying off. The problem stems from losing your creative juices. You don’t have anything left for fiction.
*Giving too much of yourself to other writers.
~You want to help other writers with their dreams, goals and passions, but you spend too much time doing this—either through blogging or message boards—and there’s no (self) nurturing left for you as a writer.
*The need to be reclusive.
~Writers are notorious for being a reclusive group—well they were at one time. That was part of the appeal of being a writer and it was great for people who wanted to be private but still earn a good living. These days, writers aren’t as reclusive as they once were. Maybe you’ve tried to be one of those “out in front” or “out in the mainstream,” type writers, but now you feel the need to pull back some. This is normal, and it’s still part of the appeal of being a writer.
*You just need a break.
~Everyone else gets a vacation and a break from work—it’s no different for a writer. We need to take time away from our work too.
Possible Solutions:
*Cut back on your writing load (if possible). You may just need to lighten your load.
*Walk away for awhile. Everyone in every profession needs a break—even one they are passionate about.
*Try some fun writing or personal journaling. Write down what’s bothering you or write until you discover why you have the funk.
Do you have any other solutions?
I’ve found that I’m much more motivated to write when I’m certain that the material will be useful to others. Furthermore, I like to know that there will be others besides me reading my work. Obviously, this is a hard factor to predict, but it’s been one of my greatest deterrents over the years.
Beyond that, I must be truly inspired by an idea to generate quality content. While I’ve posted articles that were merely informative, I prefer the opinion pieces that engage my thoughts and those of the reader. These require much more dedication and passion for talking points than their informative counterparts, thus making them much more rare.
I also find the best way to ward off the infamous Writers Funk is to write only about stuff I’m excited about–if I’m excited about it, I want to write. If I get into a ho-hum, this is a daily chore type of mode, I know I need to change up what I’m writing about or discover the real reason behind my funk.
Good blog!
I think the information presented will be useful to many people a lot.
Gr8!! idea and a great blog.