By Vincent B. Davis II, @vbdavisii

Writers, by nature, are adrenaline junkies. Artistic rush seekers. We might claim that it’s the coffee that keeps us coming back to the computer screen, but in reality, it’s that indescribable feeling that wells up within us when we create something of value. Unfortunately, this high isn’t always present. A writer’s inspiration can often feel as fleeting and fragile as a feather in the wind. Chasing it is almost counter intuitive, but is there another way to regain the spark once it’s lost? Or better yet, is there a way to keep the momentum before you lose it?

To be clear, there is no magic formula, no easy fix. However, there are 4 things we can do that are more conducive to inspiration than staring at a blank page on a computer screen.

1) Give yourself permission to write something bad.

A lot of writer’s block can stem from the pursuit of perfection. When we fall in love with a project, we want to ensure it is exactly how we imagined. But as long as we hang on to the notion that our first draft is going to be written gold, we’re going to have a hard time producing salable copy. A useful exercise might be to open up a new document and begin writing a different story. Pump out the words. Don’t self edit. Don’t judge. Just let it flow and allow it to be bad. Laugh if you want. But allowing our minds to explore different worlds and possibilities can provide what we need to reexamine our project. Later, we can return to our manuscript and continue writing with the same mentality, having the understanding that it can be bad. If the writing is truly unworthy of the rest of the manuscript, cut it during the editing process or salvage it for parts.

2) Reexamine your “why”

If you’ve ever been to a writer’s conference, you’ve heard it a thousand times: what’s your why? But have you analyzed it? Qualified it? Narrowed it, and then written it down? I’ve heard the advice a thousand times, but typically would formulate the bland answer of “because writing is what I’m passionate about.” What an awful answer! I am passionate about Carolina Panthers football, but I’m not going to devote my life to it. Or this one, “because I want to live a life of purpose.” Great! We all should. But that’s like saying a tool is used to be used. Its purpose is to have a purpose. We, as writers, need to understand exactly what we bring to the table, and why we are doing it. As an example, I’ve narrowed my own purpose to, “I want to shed new light on the courage, sacrifice, and suffering of soldiers throughout history, and as a result encourage readers.” So, whenever I get distracted, I can return to this, my passion for writing. How can I reveal, in this scene or chapter, that why. What small thing can I do to further my purpose?

3) Develop a meditative practice

Okay, bear with me on this one. This doesn’t have to be anything uncomfortable, it doesn’t have to be Zen or require us to be in a yoga pose. This is a “writer’s meditative practice.” If we are staring at a blank computer screen and can’t find inspiration, turn the computer off and close your eyes. Think about the scene that needs to be written and place yourself in it. What do you see, smell, taste, touch, hear?

For example:

I’m in a diner. It’s 40s style and there’s a juke box in the back of the room playing Frank Sinatra. I am sitting at the bar, and one of the servers asks me what I’ll have. He has grease stains on his shirt. Men are yelling in the kitchen over the sound of frying foods. I notice a man in the corner. He’s wearing a tweed jacket. His nose is beaked, and he has a pair of round bifocals perched on the end of it. He’s reading the newspaper and keeps shaking his head. His lips are curled in distaste. When the server asks what he’ll have, he calls him “boy-o”. I’m pretty sure he’s Irish. When he finishes his food, he counts out pocket change for the tip and walks out. One of his legs look stiff, and he uses a cane to balance. As he passes by, I try not to stare, but I notice he has scars down the side of his face and neck. Then I see, on his lapel, a small pin that says “WWII Veteran.”

Whoa. I started with scrambled eggs (or a vague idea) and ended with that, and something that inadvertently brought me back to my why (I promise I had no idea it would end up like that!). Inspiration for writers is often borne from the feeling of creativity, and by allowing our minds to simply do what it wants, we can create. We are more creative than we give ourselves credit for, because this is how God created us to be.

For nonfiction writers, I suggest the same exercise, but instead of placing yourself in the scene, place yourself in a room with your target reader. What are they doing, thinking, struggling with? What can you tell them to add value to their life?

4) Write anyways

If, after attempting these 3 steps, you still feel lifeless and cold, unable to produce anything. Just do it anyways. This is our job. We have to establish that in our minds. Even if we have a full-time job, a family, or a ministry to tend to, this is our job. If God has called you to write, we have to treat it like an occupation. When people ask, “What do you do?” we tend to answer with, “the thing that makes me money,” but that doesn’t intrinsically describe what we do.

Print out time sheets. We already know the craft of writing requires us to wear many different hats, and one of them is that of boss. We must rest, but we can’t be easy on ourselves. Write, even when it hurts, even when we don’t have a publishing contract, even when we don’t feel like it. Just write.

I often think of writing as a marriage. Inspiration can be equated to being “in love.” If our marriage is in a lull and we don’t feel in love with our spouse, do we run away and distract ourselves, hoping the love will magically reappear? No! Of course not. We spend time with that person, continue to grow with that person, and learn more about them. As we do so, love develops.

Pastor T.D. Jakes once said “you must come home when you’re in love, and you must come home when you’re not in love. Because it’s a commitment. You must stay there until the love comes back”. As it is with marriage, so it is with writing. Keep coming back, work on the writing no matter how you feel. And eventually, the good work that God began in you will continue to be perfected until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6).

Vincent B. Davis II is an entrepreneur, soldier, and freelance writer. In December 2016, he founded Thirteenth Press, LLC. His first novel, “The Man with Two Names” is available on Amazon now. You can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or on his website at vincentbdavisii.com. He loves hearing from other authors! If you would like to be featured on Blueridgeconference.com, e-mail him at vincent@thirteenthpress.com with the subject line “Blog Query”.