“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” -Jack London

Image by Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL) via Flickr

I love that quote above. Obviously, when it comes to writing, it’s particularly relevant. So many writers lament that they just aren’t inspired to write or that their muse isn’t telling them what to write or whatever way they justify it to themselves and these are all just excuses. You need to still sit your butt into the chair and force yourself to get writing even when you aren’t inspired if you are serious about this process.

I love that image of stalking off with a club over your shoulder looking for ideas you’ll beat onto your page. This is me most of the time. I always feel like I’m fighting against something when I sit down to write: other commitments, fears, pressures, deadlines, distractions, etc.

But I also think this quote applies in just about every aspect of life. You can’t wait for a social life to find you, you need to go after it by joining groups, getting involved in activities, etc. You can’t wait for a new job, opportunity or promotion, you have to go after it. It’s like the old take the bull by the horns cliche… no one is going to hand you anything. You need to go out and fight for it yourself. If you ever want to accomplish anything, you need to take a tough love policy when dealing with yourself. In many ways, that club is for beating back that whiny, defeatist part of your mind that just wants to wait for a handout.

I wanted to write about this because so many of my Wrimo’s have been saying that they just aren’t motivated or inspired to write anymore and I want them to understand that the only remedy for that is to seek out the things that inspire you, to force yourself to work through that feeling of not wanting to write and follow the trail of words back to the productivity that lies beyond.

How you do you go after inspiration when it eludes you?

(Behind the scenes:

Me: I want to write a post about that quote. You know. The famous one.
Husband: …?
Me: It’s something like, you can’t wait around for stuff you need to, like, go after it with an axe or something. Come on, what’s that quote?
Husband: I have NO idea what you are talking about.

Thank goodness for Google, people. It knows what I’m talking about even when my husband doesn’t.)