And there it goes. My enthusiasm for writing is gone.

[Deleted member 42060]

And there it goes. My enthusiasm for writing is gone.

I just stopped writing for a month for some personal reason. I tried getting back into my novel that had two completed drafts, but my fingers wouldn’t move. This sudden lack of passion feels so disorientating that I wonder if I really am destined to become a writer.

It wouldn’t be surprising that every writer had gone through those “depression periods.” I’ve been only writing for two years, so I shouldn’t feel too jaded about it. My only solution to this disorientating lack of passion is to begin by writing short stories. And my fingers are sore after I start writing again. Everything feels so unnatural. Unnatural because I used to play with words like a frenzied kid, but now I see them as mere symbols of the English language. Nothing more.

Defining myself as a writer was a mistake. If you strictly define yourself as a writer, you are doomed to have an identity crisis—just like any other label. “I’m a writer, so I should write.” But what if you stop writing? Do you stop becoming a writer too? And that moment prickles my identity. It’s just saddening.

I intentionally forced myself to stop writing, and now I regret it. Reading and writing were my beloved hobbies; now, they’re just a chore. Defining yourself is a curse, guys. Don’t do it. Just have a non-label identity, and you’ll be fine. Labels just make your life unnecessarily rigid.

So—yeah. I don’t know. Maybe I should wait for it to come back.

Thankfully, I’m still eager to write an essay like this. Maybe I should become an essayist instead of becoming a novelist.​

 

[Representing_Tromba]

I'm going through something similar. Though I'm pushing myself to get back into it now that I'm not as busy.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Stop whining and start writing.

 

[Minx]

I've been there, I still am. I know I'm lazy but the thing is, I wanted to write so bad but ideas just won't come out, or the execution wasn't right. It feels like I have hit a wall.

 

[tiaf]

it sometimes be like this

a week, a month, several months to a year or longer
if you come back, then it was a hiatus
if not, then you quit

 

[CL]

Defining myself as a writer was a mistake. If you strictly define yourself as a writer, you are doomed to have an identity crisis—just like any other label. “I’m a writer, so I should write.” But what if you stop writing? Do you stop becoming a writer too? And that moment prickles my identity. It’s just saddening.​

You wrote this here message towards us. That right here is a message to me saying you are a writer. You wrote a story about your experience and thoughts. And you can use that same motivation you had here on writing your thoughts out for more stories (I have).

 

[Ai-chan]

I've been there, I still am. I know I'm lazy but the thing is, I wanted to write so bad but ideas just won't come out, or the execution wasn't right. It feels like I have hit a wall.

Do you want help? Ai-chan can have a look if you want.

As for enthusiasm, look back to the time when you first started writing that piece. Why did you start and why did you feel like writing in the first place? If you can understand why you started, perhaps you can continue.

Or if you can't find that motivation, it's fine to put down the pen and work on other stuff for the time being. You're not being paid to do this. You have no obligation to write when you don't feel like doing it.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

After giving birth, I was too exhausted from taking care of my son to write during my precious little free time. I've taken long breaks from writing in the past, so I'm not worried. The inspiration will strike again.

How you define yourself is your business. If you are heterosexual and you take a break from having sex, or you haven't even had sex yet, you don't have to change your definition of yourself to asexual. If you are asexual and decide to try having sex just to see what it's like or because someone talks you into trying it, you don't need to change the way you see yourself.

 

[Friend]

I would say, what @tiaf said is the closest to the truth anyone can actually define and agree to being true. Sometimes we need go no farther.
(I have a thought of quitting every day now.)

 

[Fox-Trot-9]

if you come back, then it was a hiatus
if not, then you quit

Hell yes!