I’ve lost my motivation for writing, how do I get it back?

I know a long time ago. I asked this question in another group, but I can’t remember what they told me.

I was hoping you could give me some inspiration or something I can listen to or something I can do to get my motivation for writing back?

I’ve started watching My Little Pony again to try and get my motivation to write back, but it does not seem to be working.

7945110 What worked for me is simply sitting down and writing. I quickly got back into the swing of things. Hope that helps.

7945122
I can try and do that.

Without thinking about what I should write about, right??

7945110
Read. It will give you ideas.
Look at images. Think about how you would describe them in a story.

7945124
But that’s the thing I am no good at describing things in my stories, I can tell you what a thing looks like, but I cannot mentally show you what it looks like.

I guess that is the same thing when somebody is describing someone to a blind person, they can tell them what that person looks like, but they cannot mentally show them what they look like, and the same thing goes for audio descriptions, in videos or movies, the audio description basically tells the listener what’s happening on screen but in a story that is different you need to show what’s happening and that’s exactly my problem I cannot do that. I could tell you what’s going on, but I cannot show you.

7945123 Nope. Don't think, just write

7945124 Agreed! Just like watching art videos will inspire you to pick up a pencil and start drawing, so too does reading inspire you to start writing. And a lot of ideas that I have come from fanart I see on Derpibooru.

7945129
I can try and just write, I have a few non-pony related stories I wanna write.

Something involved a wasteland, and a few famous people I admire, like Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Buffett, Stephen Hawking and Ray Charles.

So I will not post that story here but you can follow me on Wattpad. I will send you my link.

7945127
I understand what you mean. However, if you are not good at something, that is what you should be practicing.

What if I told you that 'showing' is 'telling how it happens', instead of 'telling what it is'. You are doing it write by describing, putting it into words, because you can't put images inside a person's head in any other way. It's not as different as you're telling yourself. A writer only has words... nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives to tell a story and that is what you have to do. When people say 'show' in writing, what they mean is that you have to tell indirectly.

The difference is: 'a forest' is telling.

While showing, as far as writing is concerned, goes like 'a wall of brown bark and green. the treetops swayed with the wind and whispered, along with the crackling of their trunks. A mass of yellow leaves covered the floor and petrichor filled the air. Sunlight filtered through the leaves and spots of light danced in the floor.'

This is not perfect, but both say the same thing, but instead of telling you it's a forest, I brought images that coalesced into a forest.

7945136
Oh, I understand now.

7945110

I listen to music, that helps, but there is also the interest of your readers in your writings, it is a great incentive to regain inspiration.

Another is to talk with a friend about your writings....

Hey! that reminds me. Do you usually respond to emails you receive in the same way?

7945142

I don’t quite understand what you mean, what do you mean by if I respond to emails in the same way?

7945110
Usually, inordinate amounts of caffeine and music + forcing myself to sit in front of an empty page (either physical or digital) does the trick.

Sometimes, when I'm really lost, i just put on some music and start writing the first thing that comes to mind, and just rolling with it, see where it goes. Sometimes, it inspires me to continue my stories/inspires new stories, sometimes it doesn't get anywhere but it's okay 'cuz i still wrote something for practice.

Another tip that helped me when I was really stuck was to completely change my routine when it comes to writing. Won't always work, but by changing the parameters around your writing, you might just find something new that gives you motivation/ideas etc. Change the music you listen to while writing, change your writing location/environment (it could just be cleaning your desk, writing in a different room, or even switching between dark theme and light theme lol), that sorta things

7945180
All right, thank you I appreciate your input, yes, I listen to music but specifically country music at work and that usually gives me ideas.

But since I’m not at work right now because I’m sick, I don’t have any ideas.

7945127
how to Describe your character/O.C.'s Physical Description

7945418
That is not actually what I’m asking but clearly you do not understand the words in my original post.

What I was asking was how do I get my motivation for writing back?

7945431
Oh sorry, I read

But that’s the thing I am no good at describing things in my stories, I can tell you what a thing looks like, but I cannot mentally show you what it looks like.

and thought of this

7945449
No, that’s not what I meant.