What To Write When You Don’t Know What To Write
It’s 6:30am. Light crawls through and evades the darkness, and you’re sitting there, just trying to tie five hundred words together before heading off to work.
But inspiration isn’t hitting. Nothing is happening. An empty page stares back and mocks you.
When I experienced this in the past, I gave up on writing for the day. It just wasn’t happening so it wasn’t going to happen. I felt discouraged, defeated, and even sad. Why was I doing this to myself? What was it all for? Was I even good at writing?
However, I began to realize there had to be another way. I needed to try something different. That’s when it changed for me. Do I still have those disappointing moments where the words aren’t coming easily and progress isn’t clicking along? Absolutely. But I’ve found there’s a practical solution I can use to help me jump over this barrier.
JUST WRITE.
“What do you mean, Kaitlyn?” You might ask.
This is what I do: I either take out my notebook and start scribbling out some sentences or start typing out thoughts in a document. Perhaps it pertains to the scene at hand, other times not. I’ll flip back through my notes, study a previ0us chapter outline or a conversation I really enjoyed writing. Maybe I just jot down a few words I think are particularly beautiful. Sometimes I journal about my day or even doodle. Anything that gets the pen moving, the keys typing. Before I know it, an idea jabs me. A sentence springs to life. Suddenly, I’ve written a few sentences. A paragraph forms. A whole scene takes place.
Give yourself grace. It might not be the most glorious piece of prose you’ve ever conceived, but it’s something. And today, Friends, it’s enough. More than enough.
I’ll let you in on a secret. The words weren’t coming easily for me today. I worked on a chapter from my first novel draft, but the sentences resisted me. So I found myself here, blogging. And guess what? I’m heading back to my chapter after this to try again.
You got words on the page. You wrote. You’re a writer, after all. Don’t give up on your project, and don’t give up on yourself.
We can do this.
Your friend with a pen,
Kaitlyn