7 Tips to Slap Yourself out of Procrastination and Get Back to Writing

The writing slump, that infamous monster that keeps visiting all of us when we need it the least and sometimes we can simply not afford to wait around for it to pass by itself. So here are some of the things that have helped me sit my buttocks back on the couch and open that Word document.

1. Forgive yourself. The first step to productivity is to forgive yourself for whatever made you lose it in the first place. For me, a slump usually happens right after I go over what I previously wrote. Immerse yourself in your story’s world and forget about everything else. First drafts are shit for everyone and accepting it is the only thing that can get you back on track. Otherwise, your writing session will be plagued by the haunting thought that your writing is shit and so are you.
2. Do NOT even think of Re-reading.  Reading your work before the first draft is finished kills motivation more efficiently than anything else. Start writing and keep at it, don't look at the computer screen if you can help it. The only thing slowing you down is YOU.
3. Schedule it.  If you decided on a time goal, fit that block of time into your calendar, and write it down. Having structure makes writing regularly much easier.
4. Find a new place.  Writing somewhere you usually don’t, can be an easy fix when a blank page seems daunting.  This could mean finding a park bench or coffee shop on the opposite side of the city, or it could be as simple as moving to the couch if you usually sit at a desk.
5. Minimize distractions.  Turn off the internet.  Don’t sit in the library with your friends and don’t sit in a busy coffee shop, unless those are environments that you’ve thrived in previously. Isolate yourself in a room without windows, if you must!
6. Music. Listen to music that fits the tone of whatever scene you are writing–this can help you get into the proper mindset, and the words may flow more easily, after all, inspiration can be found anywhere.
7. Don’t censor.  You’re returning to writing so your prose will not be very polished and that is absolutely normal.  That’s what second (and third! and fourth!) drafts are for.  Focus on the quantity of words rather than the quality, or challenge yourself to write for a fixed amount of time without any breaks. Having short term goals can be far easier to follow.

These are the 7 things that have helped me to get back into writing. They are far from revolutionary, in fact, you might have heard all of these countless of times before. But perhaps hearing them (or rather reading) just one more time is exactly what someone needs. I live in the vague hope that perhaps someone, one day, might find these useful. If you have any tips that I haven't mentioned but have helped you, feel free to leave a comment. Comments are highly appreciated though not mandatory, I myself am guilty of silent reading. 

Have a nice day, and may the writing Gods smile upon you whenever you need them most.