Let me tell you about Anu (name changed, of course).
Anu fancied herself a writer, which she was, almost.
She had notebooks full of half-begun stories, a few solid ideas marinating in her Notes app, and a Pinterest board titled Writer Life Aesthetic featuring steaming mugs, windswept windows and cute cats curled up on cozy cushions. Perfect picture of a writer’s den, in other words. Oh, she loved the imagery!
But when she sat down to write? After a few sentences, nothing. If staring at a blank page were an Olympic event, she won the diamond. Better than gold, and forever.
But I digress, as always.
She tried it all—writing rituals, playlists, even lighting candles named “Midsummer Creativity” and “Goddess of Inspiration.” No dice. The cursor blinked at her like a smug troll.
One Thursday, she grumbled to a friend, a writer in my writing community.
“I feel so meh. Where does everyone get this daily dose of divine inspiration? I want to sign up too!”
Her friend said, “Who told you we wait for inspiration?”
That was Anu’s lightbulb moment. Because here’s the truth:
Writers who write every day don’t wait to feel inspired. They’ve made writing a habit—not a holy event.
Let’s break this myth, and a few others too, shall we?
The Myth of the Muse
We’ve all grown up romanticising the Inspired Writer™. They scribble furiously at 2 AM, pausing only to gulp wine and sigh at the moon.
Here’s what most real writers do:
They stare at a screen at 10:47 AM, chew their pencil, re-read the first sentence twelve times, and type a couple of sentences more, delete them and pull their hair out. But keep going.
Inspiration is wonderful, yes. But reliability is better.
You don’t need to feel poetic. You need to show up.
How Do I Show Up If I Feel Like a Block of Sodden Wood?
Let’s talk strategy:
- Tiny Goals Save the Day: Don’t aim for 1000 words. Write one sentence. Then another. Momentum, right?
- Write About the Meh: Feeling foggy? Start with: “I’m feeling blank today. My brain is toast. But here’s a thought…”
Boom. You’re already writing.
- Keep a Low-Stakes Writing Folder: Call it “Ugly Drafts” or “Nobody Reads This.” Write freely. Edit later. Or abandon altogether. It still helps you build that habit.
- Find Writing Buddies Who Get It: Writing alone is brave. But writing in community? That’s power.
Which brings me to…
Need a Support System That Doesn’t Judge Your Comma Placement?
Join The Write Place—our warm, thriving community of writers who show up every week, stuck or soaring, sleepy or inspired.
And if you’re struggling with a plot hole, a publishing question, or just want someone to say, “Yes, you can call a character Bhumi,” we’ve got something perfect:
Pen to Print Hour – Every Thursday, 4–5 PM
A free weekly session inside our community where you can ask us anything about writing, editing, publishing, or dealing with that existential panic mid-story.
No gatekeeping. No jargon. No “just Google it.”
Just two writing mentors (that’s us!) with open tabs, open minds, and a mildly concerning love for semicolons.
Want in?
Join The Write Place today, and pull up a virtual chair at this week’s Pen to Print Hour.
Because writing’s hard enough, why make it lonely too?
Want to join The Write Place? Click here: https://wp.me/pcNapz-36W
Mother of three adult humans. An idealistic, outspoken woman of scrupulous integrity, in love with words. A storyteller who enjoys crocheting tales.
And a passionate bibliophile, of course.