Post by Admin Kbatz on Feb 21, 2020 18:59:23 GMT -5
You may notice the content for the 2020 HorrorAddicts.net Online Writers Conference is slightly different this year. We have more live events and less panel videos. Several writers submitted content and interviews in advance, but won't be available during the conference proper.
That's okay. They had a good reason. Real Life got in the way.
Any writer – whether a teen composing stories for the first time or a an older, more experienced author – knows how difficult it is to find the time to focus on the writing craft. Certainly, it is much more difficult when school, work, family, and health issues intervene. In my local writing community as well as in my virtual literary network, many in the past year have dealt with surgery, ill relatives, job set backs, and stalled writing. When people ask me what I write, sometimes it's tough for me to say non-fiction for websites, podcasts, and magazines – because I used to write fiction, you know before long term illness zapped that creative energy.
We've all been there. So here are a few tips to maybe snap you out of the writing funk and heal with the power of the proverbial pen!
1. Find a Creative Time – It doesn't even have to be writing, but finding the right time to be creatively inspired can lead to infusing you on the page. Maybe it's the sunrise each day, painting on a Sunday afternoon, taking a walk after lunch. Carve out a niche in your schedule for yourself to detox and reinvigorate. Reintroduce writing by taking notes on the experience.
2. Write Something Different – Put down a manuscript that's giving you a problem and take your writing for a new spin. Blog about another hobby, write poetry or keep a dream journal. Hand write instead of type. Shake up your routine and do some writing that has no pressure.
3. Make a Writing Space – This can be difficult for some, as sometimes there is just no space to get away from family, household commitments, or work. Never fear! Look for a corner chair, desk space, or comfy room that can be a place to write. Bring your laptop or journal with you. It's okay to try out an area and see if it works. Maybe it doesn't. That's okay, too.
4. Have a Security Quirk – Dust off that beloved coffee mug or find a new one that has a silly slogan that speaks to you. Find that favorite tea and buy it in bulk. Wear that favorite writing t-shirt and line up all your best inspiring toys along the desk. Let charming, safe, and friendly items or materials surround you to keep all the negativity away.
How has real life affected your writing? What do you do to get out of a funk and restore inspiration when issues mount?