Finding the energy to write

A few weeks back I had a bout of 'flu that left me feeling completely without energy.  I had a book to write, another to edit, and a third to plan, and I wasn't getting anywhere with any of them.  I wondered what was wrong with me, why I couldn't get going.  That's typical of my approach to finding the energy to write.  I don't accept limitations on my ability to create.  I make myself write every day.

Part of having the energy to write is about having the right mindset.  It has to matter to you that you write every day, that you meet your daily word count target.  When I was working full time I frequently hated the jobs I was doing.  They were well-paid, and strictly for the money.  Lunch breaks were sacred.  I always took them, got out of the office, and went somewhere to write.  Just the discipline of making the effort to go out, to make the time, kept me writing.  That's one of the best tips for keeping your energy up. Have regular breaks, and get some fresh air. 

Even if you're sitting at your desk at your day job your subconscious can be at work planning your novel or story.  Make sure you keep notebook and pen at your desk or in your briefcase for recording the ideas that bubble up when you're in the middle of doing something else.  If you go out for lunch, find a cafe where you can sit in the corner and write.  

Go for a regular walk, with no other agenda than listening to your subconscious.  I'm lucky enough to be able to walk by the sea every day, and have the company of mute swans.  I've often felt flashes of inspiration as I walked that have given me the energy to resurrect a moribund project, or a great splurge of ideas for a new one.

I work best in several concentrated sessions of an hour or an hour and a half, and I've designed my day to accommodate these energy bursts.  I have the luxury of being a full time writer, but that can bring its own challenges if you're not disciplined.  I can't write at home, I just feel shut in, so I write in cafés.  This gives my day its rhythm.  Morning session usually in the Greenhouse Cafe , go home and type up longhand notes.  Afternoon session, read through what I did this morning, write some more.  Go home, type up the afternoon's notes, review those.  I find that working in concentrated bursts gives me the energy to focus properly on what I'm doing.

If you want to boost your own writing productivity it's worth working out when you have most energy, and arranging your writing sessions around these.