What to do when you’re too tired to write

For two days now, I’ve felt too tired to write. It’s been justified after long days out. We all have those days. Some may say that the best thing to do is to power through. Sure, if that’s possible; go ahead. It depends on what you need. Sometimes the kindest thing to do for yourself and your work is to power down instead of powering through!

Here are some things to do instead of writing that will actually help you to write next time:

Pinterest dive

When you’re really tired but you want and need to work on your story, why not hit up Pinterest? It’s the best app and website for me. I adore it! It has a wealth of effortless inspiration for everything in your life, including your stories. Follow my Pinterest boards here.

Yes, scrolling on Pinterest can be a waste of valuable time. But when you go on there with intention, you are potentially helping your story. You can find images to inspire and enrich your characters, your setting, your magic, your mood, your aesthetic, names for people and places, history, clothing, everything!

Watch videos

Again, potentially a naughty one when done without awareness and intention. But watching videos about writing or worldbuilding etc can be the perfect inspiration and motivation to get started. Especially if you’re a beginner (but not limited to beginners), you can gain valuable advice that can help your work.

YouTubers who talk about writing that I follow:

Abbie EmmonsHello Future MeChristy Anne JonesMerphy NapierQuotidian WriterSincerely, VeeKate Cavanaugh Writes

Reading your work

Reading over the last bit your wrote is a great way to still be engaging with your story without having to write. Sure, you can edit if you want to. But just reading it can be enough to feel good and like you haven’t abandoned your story on your days off.

Brainstorm

I love a good mindmap because it lets you be creatively free to explore lots of random ideas without them needing to make sense or connect. If there’s an area of your story that needs a little work, write it at the centre of a blank page: MAGIC SYSTEM, MAIN CHARACTER, SIDE CHARACTERS, EMOTIONAL JOURNEY, whatever. Then, go wild. Build from any random ideas that come into your head. Get out the bad ideas to leave room for the good ones to find you.

Character interviews

It’s always a good idea to work on your characters. Keep asking yourself key questions. Who are they? Even better, ask the character themselves!

Why did you do that?

Why do you want this?

What are you afraid of and why?

What do you need to learn to get what you think you want?

What is really going on here?

Even if you think you know your characters pretty well, time away from your manuscript speaking with your characters and going deeper into their minds and backstory is never wasted time – even if it doesn’t make it into the story, it still adds depth to your characters and influences their decisions and reactions.

Read

Reading is a key part of being a writer. You don’t need to read fast or a lot compared to other people, but if you’re writing books, it’s a good idea to read some, too! It helps you to know what you like in a book and what you don’t. It helps you understand genre, structure, and depth. If you’re reading something popular, ask yourself what might make this appeal to so many people.

Reading is a gentle activity and an important one for writers. Take some time away from your world and slip into another one. However, be careful not to compare your writing to published books. They have been edited A LOT and by A LOT of people. So comparison isn’t kind or fair to you.

Watch tv (but take notes)

I’m so naughty! Instead of writing, just watch the telly. I’m joking but I’m not. Television shows are written first!Crazy, I know! Someone thought about the characters, the plot, and the setting just like we do for our books. Therefore, watching tv shows can actually help us with our writing. But, you need to wear your writing cap while watching.

Ask some questions:

Who are the main characters and what do they want?What is stopping them from getting it?Why does this location work for this story?Who is a villain and why?Why do I care about the characters?Why do I want to keep watching? What questions do I need to be answered?How is visual storytelling playing a major role here and how can I bring that into my stories?

(Just because you’re writing a book and not a TV show or film, doesn’t mean you can’t learn A LOT about writing and engaging your reader from studying visual storytelling).

Look after yourself

Lastly, you’re tired. You can’t write right now; that’s okay. Take a nap. Go for a walk. Do some yoga or pilates. Go for a jog. Cuddle up with a good book or your pet. Have a cup of tea and a chat with someone you love. Play a game. Take a bath. Journal about your feelings of late. Go sit by a river. Paint. Call a parent/carer. Do a puzzle. Cook a good meal. Scrapbook. Sing. Dance. Meditate. Get a massage. Go swimming. Scream into a pillow. Book a therapy session. Get dressed up. Rewatch Harry Potter.

Live. Love yourself. Look after yourself. And live your life.

Your writing can live without you for a day. I know that lately I’ve been talking about and showing my fast writing process. But I’m also looking after myself and taking breaks. Writing yourself to death isn’t fun, so what’s the point?

Let me know what you’re working on.

Happy writing (or not!).

Sincerely,

S. xx