NO MOTIVATION TO WRITE

I’ve talked many times about how I never have a problem with inspiration. To me, my…wait…I just answered a question on Facebook that someone proposed on the Science Fiction/Fantasy board I participate in. They asked something like “What’s the biggest hurdle you have to cross when writing?” Or biggest roadblock, or something to that effect.

While responses crossed the spectrum, surprisingly, inspiration and motivation were right up there (if I remember right).

My response was time.

Yup, my biggest roadblock or hurdle to writing is nothing more than time.

So, what’s motivation got to do with this?

NORMAL CONDITIONS

Under normal circumstances, motivation is not even on the radar for me. Are you kidding? I live for writing! I’m full of ideas, inspiration. There isn’t enough time in the day to lay down all I want to write about.

My muse is right there!

HOWEVER

There is one circumstance that sucks away my motivation. It has nothing to do with either inspiration or a desire to write.

This past weekend, I came down with a bad case of bronchitis. I’ll tell you what. It kicked my butt! Sitting at the computer was pure hell. It was an extreme effort not only to sit at the keyboard, but after just a few minutes, I’d get chills, my eyes wouldn’t focus, and I’d get so sleepy, it just sapped all the energy right out of me. This was merely checking my e-mail.

I’d planned to work several projects at once, switching between them, plus do a bit of woodworking, something I’ve been neglecting since last year.

All of that went down the crapper.

I slept either in my chair or was in bed the entire time.

No motivation or energy to do anything, let alone write.

BEING PHYSICALLY CAPABLE

I’ve done plenty of writing while under the weather. However, it just depends on what type of “under the weather” we’re talking about and how severe it is. When your body is under that kind of duress, it doesn’t bode well for something even as simple as punching keys.

Now, just imagine people with more severe physical or mental conditions trying to write. That can suck the motivation right out of you. It has nothing to do with inspiration.

We’re talking physical barriers.

SOLUTION

Like with life in general, we need to stay as healthy as possible. Some people aren’t motivated because they’re not inspired. That’s a whole different issue. Those that aren’t motivated because they feel like crap have a temporary condition that needs to be addressed.

Like me, I went to the doctor, got the medicine and I’m finally on the way to recovery, as this article can attest to. Of course, now I’m about drained so I’ll have to go and kick back in my chair and take another nap, even though I just got up.

So goes a slow recovery from bronchitis. It ain’t pretty. I can attest to that because I just came back, edited this mess two days later, and geez!

Happy writing!