How to Tackle Writing Fatigue

From Writerslife.org:

Everyone has days where they don’t feel like writing. But when they days turn into weeks and the weeks turn into months, it can become a big problem.

Do you have writing fatigue? Some common symptoms are:

Feeling as though everything you write is awful
Being unable to get past the initial stages of an idea
Being consumed by negative thinking that means you can’t focus on the task at hand
Feeling as though you are stuck in a rut and writing the same sort of thing over and over again
Changing things and feeling as though they are no better
Running out of ideas

If any of the above sound familiar you might have writing fatigue. But what can you do about it?

Get out of the house

A change of scenery can work wonders for the imagination. Fresh air and exercise will get that blood pumping - and who knows what you will see or hear when you are out and about that will inspire you with a brilliant idea for your story?

Take a break

Sometimes you suffer from writing fatigue because you do need a break from writing. Let yourself have some time off from it, just don’t let a break turn into a permanent one! Sometimes putting something aside and coming back to it after a few weeks can help us to see new things and spark new ideas that allow us to get over whatever problems we were having when we initially became frustrated.

Read something inspiring

Sometimes need to get back to what inspired us to start writing in the first place. Reading over favourite books or even just finding inspiring quotes can help to lift one's spirits and help us to recollect why we write, what’s important to us and get us back on the right track once more.

Reset your goals

Take a look at your writing goals. Perhaps you have been pushing yourself too far and have set goals that are impossible to reach. Or maybe your goals aren’t driving you far enough and have allowed you to become lazy. Take a look at the goals and deadlines you’ve set yourself and see if you can change them to keep you more motivated.

Look after yourself

Get plenty of rest, eat healthily, learn how to relax and unwind and don’t forget to exercise. Keeping the mind and body fuelled with goodness will help you feel energetic positive and focused -all important for being your best writing self.

Coming across a roadblock in your writing is frustrating, but there are ways to deal with it. Every writer will experience times where they find it difficult to write, and writing becomes sluggish and even dull to them. The critical thing to remember is to work through this, don’t give up and persevere and eventually, you’ll get back into the flow. Using the tips above will help you get there faster and hopefully make instances of writing fatigue as short-lived and painless as possible!

I think I really have writing fatigue right now! I still haven't tried writing anything new, but I have been going over my memoir and continually finding errors. And I'm still not done with that! I do have some ideas for another possible diary novel that picks up where the first one leaves off, but haven't gotten around to writing them down yet. But at least I have something in mind.

As far as some of the ideas above go, I think I've been taking too long a break and really need to get back into the mode. But as always, I have been reading, whether or not I consider what I am currently reading to be inspiring. As long as I am reading something. I try to get out of the house, though mostly to go to other places. I'm not really an outdoor person. And getting out is a bit hard right now because the summer weather is so hot right now. But I try, even if it's only for a while. 

Now two fellow workers are making plans to write books as well. One is planning to do it old school--on a typewriter. She is waiting for one she ordered to arrive. This got me wondering if I should try this method. I would have to obtain a typewriter somehow. Who knows how much it could be? And it's been years since I've used one of those things. The one girl said it would be easier to view what is written when done on a  typewriter. I agreed, in that I have to keep on printing copies from the computer. That uses up ink and paper and those can be expensive. It's also easier to view the printed copy than to view the work on a screen. But on a  typewriter you can view your work as you type, with no screen. So as you can see, either method has its advantages and disadvantages, even if typewriters  are so old-fashioned, as I can picture some people saying right now:) Would you dare still use one in this day and age?