We all know the feeling: You want to write. You plan to write. You even talk about writing. But when it’s time to sit down and get words on the page, suddenly everything feels harder than it should be. The inspiration is missing. The energy is low. The inner critic is loud.

But if you’re serious about your writing goals—whether you’re working on a book, blogging consistently, or growing a writing practice—you need strategies that help you write even when you don’t “feel like it.” That’s because writing consistently isn’t about waiting for inspiration. It’s about creating conditions that make inspiration more likely—and learning how to show up even when it doesn’t.

Here are some practical tips to help you stay inspired and push through on the days when inspiration is nowhere to be found.

Fill Your Creative Cup

You’ve heard the saying “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” and that’s usually used to stress the importance of not neglecting self-care in our efforts to take care of others. But this applies to your writing life too. Creativity is fuel. If you’re running on empty, you can’t expect words to magically appear.

Read more. If you’re a long-time See Jane Write reader, you know that one of my mantras is “Good writers read good writing. Read in your genre, outside your genre, poetry, essays, novels, and articles. Reading reminds your brain what’s possible on the page. It sparks ideas and rhythms that wake up your writing voice. Reading more will also expand your literary vocabulary.

Capture ideas constantly. Carry a notebook or use your phone’s notes app. Inspiration comes in the checkout line, in the car, during a walk. And no, you are not going to remember! Write it down! If you’re like me and ideas come to you in the shower, invest in a small waterproof whiteboard. Yes, those exist.

Try the “10 Ideas a Day” practice. Since I read the suggestion in the book Become an Idea Machine, I have been a true believer in the practice of writing down 10 ideas every day. This list can include ideas for essays, books, captions, business offerings, or anything else. Most of the ideas will be bad and that’s okay. The point is to train your brain to generate ideas every day. Over time, your creative muscles get stronger.

Remember Your Why

When your motivation is low, your why is your anchor.

Why do you write? To tell your story? To help someone else feel seen? To build a career?
To heal?

Write your why down where you can see it—on your desk, in your journal, as your phone wallpaper. When the work feels hard, return to it. Reconnect to the purpose behind the practice. If you’re a visual person, try creating a vision board that captures your why for writing and post that in your workspace or use it as your wallpaper on your desktop.

Set a Low Daily Quota

Perfectionism convinces us that writing only “counts” when we write a lot. But writing is like fitness—consistency beats intensity. In her book, Write For Life, Julia Cameron recommends setting a low daily quota. She offers 2 pages as a good start. You could try 200 words or 15 minutes a day. Figure out what works best for you. Your low daily quota –or as I like to call it, your “Bare Ass Minimum” – should be something that feels almost too easy. The point is that if it feels easy, you’re more likely to do it – even when you don’t feel like it!

And you’ll often find that once you’re in motion, you keep going. And even if you don’t, that’s okay because you kept the promise to yourself. You showed up for your writing and for yourself, and that’s what matters!

Find Your Writing Prime Time

You have a golden hour or writing “prime time” (because, remember, it doesn’t have to be for a whole hour). This is the time of day when you do your best work. For me, it’s early in the morning. For others, it’s before bed. Maybe it’s on your lunch break.

Instead of forcing yourself to write at a time of the day when your energy is depleted, figure out your writing prime time and schedule your writing sessions around that.

Confront Your Inner Critic

Your inner critic – or inner mean girl, as I call my voice that’s always hatin’ on my dreams – may be the reason you’re not writing. You say you don’t feel like it, when actually you’re afraid of failure (or success), and so you won’t sit down and do the work because if there are no words on the page, there’s nothing to criticize.

Maybe you know your inner critic is to blame because that voice is LOUD. Maybe you spend the time you’ve set aside for writing trying to get your inner critic to shut up. One thing I’ve learned is that ignoring your inner critic will not silence that voice. You must confront your inner critic. All the negative self-talk cluttering your mind is rooted in fear. So grab your journal and counter each fear with facts and faith. This can be faith in a higher power, but this can also be faith in yourself and in your community.

For example, let’s say you want to start a Substack newsletter, but your inner critic keeps saying no one wants to read your work and that you’re not savvy enough with technology to figure out the platform.

But the truth is, you’re a See Jane Write Collective member, and everyone loves when you read your work during our monthly critique sessions. And those same ladies who cheer you on can also help you figure out how to use Substack!

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Writing when you don’t feel like it is not about forcing or punishing yourself. It’s about building trust with yourself. It’s about showing up for your creativity the same way you show up for any other part of your life that matters.

When you keep the promises you make to yourself, it builds confidence and you will begin to truly believe that your voice deserves to be heard and your story deserves to be told.

Some days, the boldest, most powerful thing you can do is simply show up. So, girl, just write —especially when you don’t feel like it.