Bring back that loving feeling to your writing

Tom Cruise sang it in Top Gun, "bring back that loving feeling." But for writers this can often be a problem especially after a break. I spoke last week on how to get back into the writing game but what if you've lost that "loving feeling?"

Writers love to writers love to write or they would have never embarked on this crazy profession. It really is crazy. Think about it. Most of us work in isolation or coffee shops where we dont interact with others. We hear the voices Of our characters in our heads and we are forced to be OK with rejection. Yep, writing is not a healthy career for the weak at heart. So, writers need to love what they do. You need that passion or spark as I call it. But what if it's lost. You sit done and you don't have writers blog but rather a lack of interest.

We've all be there or at least I hope you have or I will feel very depressed. Whenever, ever my "spark" is fading I always ask myself these questions:

Why did I start writing?

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. In school early as elementary school I would write short stories and enter them in contests. In high school I had a short story when the scholastic writing competition. But I remember wanting to write because I loved to read. After falling in love with so many characters and worlds it was only natural (well to me at least) that I started creating my own. I still keep a notepad on my nightstand where I write down each new exciting world I visited in my dreams.

Why do I like writing?

I love writing because I can set my own hours. I write from home with the help of my almost 2-year-old and my high maintenance dog so my hours are still erratic with much of work getting done in crazy early and late hours but still I have flexibility. After working in public relations and communications I appreciate this.

Do I like what I've written?

OK all writers would probably answer no to this question on most days but I'm talking about work or a scene you haven't read in a while. I haven't written much in January because of a family emergency but the first thing I did when getting back into my routine was read something I haven't looked at in a while. It was good. In fact, it was great! There is something to out of sight, out of mind and when you read something with fresh eyes, you'd be amazed what you see.

What book am I currently reading?

If you aren't reading, that may be the problem to your fading spark of interest. All writers should read. I've learned so much when I took the leap to writing fiction professionally from fiction books that I wanted to read. These weren't craft books, though they are vital too, but I'm talking about reading a book you want to read rather then what you feel you should read.

With these four questions, plus the will to get your butt in chair in front of your computer, your spark should reignite. That has been my experience. What do you do to reignite your writing "spark?"

Announcements:

I will be teaching another class of my Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind Write It Forward Workshop this March. It is a month long workshop focused on busy writing moms, something I know a lot about. Click here for more information.

My book, ‘Caring for Your Special Needs Dog’ is out and a percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine.