Slump

Most of the time, my goal on this blog is to be positive, motivational, inspirational (both for myself, and for anyone who might be reading).

But sometimes, as writers, we hit a slump. A period of self-doubt mixed with frustration. Or, a period of non-productivity due to one thing: lack of time.

My little slump has been mostly from the latter, brought on by work--grading hundreds (literally!) of freshman essays over the past few weeks (hence, my lack of blog posts). Whether I like it or not, it's true: the grading takes time away from the writing. It's not that I have NO time to write--it's that, when I do, my brain is already fatigued from reading/editing other people's work. It just takes too much energy to create my own.

So, how do I get out of the "slump?" One way is that I remember my writing. Make it a priority again. Squeeze out the few precious moments I do have, to do...something. To write something. And when I do that, I remind myself what writing does for me--how it excites me, puts me in another world, lets me focus on that part of me that adores reading and writing. I also make a habit of reading (even for a few minutes a day) a really good novel. I study the craft, even when I'm not working on my own craft.

Finally, I look back. I take time to sift through my current project and read for awhile--remember what it was I had become so passionate about. It doesn't take long before I'm in there again--in that place, excited about the writing.

Slumps don't have to be a bad thing--in fact, sometimes, they're just necessary parts of the writing process. It can be healthy, to take a little break from writing and come back to it, "fresh." The trick is not letting the slump become a permanent hiatus...

What brings on your slump? And how do you get out of it? Any special tips or tricks? I'd love to hear from you in the comments...