Start Your Engines

We've all been there. The chapter or scene is ready. Stuck in our mind. Languishing. Because we just don't have the motivation to sit down and put fingers to keyboard.

We binge Netflix. We play video games. We scroll and scroll and scroll on social media. We simply can't seem to find the spark needed to sit down and get started.

Here are three ways to find that spark. All rooted in the same premise--give your brain a chance to breathe!

1) GO FOR A WALK

Get away from screens. Get away from electric stimuli. Give your lungs some air. Give your legs some exercise. Give your soul some freedom. Most important, give your brain a chance to do its thing.

You're a writer because that's what your brain does naturally. You can't stop the ideas from coming. So let them come. Give them space. Sit back and watch!

(Warning: I've found that podcasts and audiobooks will derail me every bit as much as TVs and phones. Turn them off. Get away from technology. Just for a few minutes.)

2) LISTEN TO MUSIC

Do you write to music? Do you curate lists for each work or character or mood? Does music inspire your stories?

Put it on. Close your eyes. And listen.

Don't worry if it's not the perfect piece for your story. Don't worry if its the wrong genre. It'll get the juices flowing. It'll get coax the motivation out of you. Then you can point that motivation where you want it to go!

(Warning: For me, music with lyrics doesn't allow my brain the chance to breathe. Try movie scores or classical pieces. Something that boosts the mood without excess stimulation.)

3) PRAY OR MEDITATE

The ultimate way to unplug! Find a quiet place. Get comfortable. Clear your mind. And let inspiration fill in the void. Write what is whispered!

At the end of the day, I've found that the modern addiction to constant stimulation is the enemy of success. The more I unplug, the more productive I become.

How about you? What do you do to find the motivation necessary to sit down and write?