Hi All, I was quite active here in 2014 until I became unwell and lost my motivation to write. After 4 years of inactivity, I'm trying to get back on my writing bicycle but wondered if any of you had any tips on how to re-capture that missing mojo? All ideas and suggestions appreciated. :-) Mark
Schedule time into your day/week to write. Experiment and find out what works for you... be that where to write, what to write or how to write. I'll often set a timer for 10 minutes at the start of a writing session and write about anything... If typing straight away onto screen isn't working I'll switch to pen and paper. I've recently hit a similar issue with my work (though I'm at the editing/re-reading/redrafting stage), so tomorrow I'll be taking the hard copy of my work and trying to read the rest at a cafe in the hopes that the change of scenery will work. But dedicating time to actually writing ensures it gets done.
Writing groups and writing workshops can also be great motivators as you get to interact with other authors, who can offer a lot of different ideas and suggestions and make you think about your writing in a new way.
As for books, try something like "Your Writing Coach" by Jurgen Wolff. It goes into the psychology behind writing, staying motivated and overcoming writers block etc. It's one I keep going back to. I found it beautifully laid out and very accessible.
Hope this helps.
Very best of luck.
Hi Adrian, Ruth and Philip
Many thanks for the suggestions. I have to admit I have recently (re)discovered Peter Ackroyd. I read Hawksmoor many years ago but didn't quite get it but having just finished The House of Dr Dee it's reignited my love of the written word and storytelling in general.
Stephen King is certainly a writer who divides opinion. Another is J K Rowling. Both brilliant storytellers but I struggle reading any of their books. I guess a writer either hits a note that resonates with you or they don't and that's probably not a bad thing.
I've started work on a short story which I'm hoping to post on here in the next few weeks. Hopefully any feedback gained will enable me to press on with the completion of the novel I've had almost in the bag for the past 5 years!
Thanks again all.
Mark
I disagree Ruth.
'On Writing' by Stephen King is a poor book on creative writing. I'm glad I was given a copy because I certainly wouldn't pay for one. It is mostly semi-autobiographical.
I didn't find anything useful until about page 38. Then the advice given was taken from other creative writing books.
Stephen King has the fantastic ability to chill with words, but teacher of creative writing he is not.