The last few years have been tough. Many of us have faced health or financial setbacks and all our lives have been disrupted. We’ve been cooped up and our outside activities were mostly put on hold. Even if you’ve had extra time at home, you might have found yourself feeling creatively uninspired.
In a post on the Stage 32 blog, Mark McKee suggests four steps for reviving your writing mojo:
- Remind yourself why. “Go back to the moment where you fell in love with telling stories, what did that look like? What did that feel like?” McKee asks. “There is a simple joy in remembering those times.”
- Appreciate your rejections. “Read the critiques that you receive and know that they will sting, but they are worthwhile,” McKee writes. “As a creative, I would never tell you to sacrifice your vision based upon one critique, but if you are consistently hearing the same comments from multiple producers/reviewers/contests etc., then there is truth buried within the critiques that you must acknowledge.”
- Mind your own plate. Nothing is as toxic to creativity as comparing your journey to someone else’s success. “If you are in the midst of a draft and cannot bare looking at another success post, lock yourself away for a bit, so that you can complete your writing with a clear mind,” McKee says. “The success of others does not define your success or lack thereof.”
- Be yourself. “While I cannot discount the need for screenwriting books or reading the work of other screenwriters, it is vital that you find your own voice,” McKee writes. “The truth about finding your voice in writing is that you can only find it through a combination of rejection and self-reflection.”
