The WDC NanoLounge

I wrote this for you: "Things to Do When You Don't Feel Like Writing" 

"I usually just write anyway, especially this month, with the timed sprints going on at "NaNoWriMo Sprint Writers Forum" .

One of the most prolific published authors I know of did a study on himself and checked his quality and word counts after writing when he felt like it and writing when he didn't, and found no significant difference. He commits to a certain amount of writing time a day. I believe he once did a year of writing a novel every 11 days (he'd write it in ten, rest a day, then start writing the next one).

That's probably not what you want to hear though. Here are some suggestions.

Pray for guidance and inspiration (I know you're a person of faith; not everyone who reads this might be, so just ignore if you're not).

Go for a walk or move around.

Take a shower or bath.

Pump yourself up to write. Get in a confident position and say things like, "I love writing! I'm ready to write!" with enthusiasm.

Listen to upbeat music (or music that fits the tone of what you plan to write, or Baroque or classical music).

Make sure you're fully hydrated (it's easier to think that way).

Decide to just write for 5 minutes or whatever time feels okay for you, then let yourself off the hook. You might get into flow once you start writing and not want to stop, but if you do want to stop, honor your promise to yourself and just stop and take a break and come back to it later.

Set up a regular writing schedule and keep it. The habit can help you start to get into writing mode.

Set up a nice place to write that you like being in. I like having a clear desk and a little something pretty (sometimes it's flowers, sometimes it's cards from friends or photographs I find inspiring), a glass of water, and a note book and pen at my writing computer.

Generally take good care of your body. If you get good sleep and exercise regularly, I imagine it's easier to write.

Break your project down into chunks / steps that feel more manageable.

Think about the bigger picture of what you're trying to achieve and who you are going to help with your writing."