"I know I could write a pretty good story, but I can't seem to will myself to start."My response:
Bottom line: it’s tough to think and create at a keyboard all day and expect ourselves to think and create for fun in all that ‘extra’ time. Your artist self probably wants to dig in the dirt or whittle wood or play rock guitar--anything that uses different motor skills and brain patterns.
So, first give yourself free play time to nurture your artist self and then play with story ideas. (See writer and creativity coach Julia Cameron for how to fill the creativity well.)
There's the time crunch thing, too. At every stage in life we're faced with multiple demands on our time and attention. Students have multiple classes, a job and a social life. Young careerists have credits to build. Parents have kids to feed and chauffeur. So where do we find the time to generate non-paying, speculative fiction?
My solution is to work with small chunks of time a little bit every day. Even when I have "no" time I can always find fifteen minutes to jot down notes and questions to myself. Anything to keep the pump primed. Then on days when I actually have a couple of hours I'm ready to go. The alternative is to wait for long stretches of really productive time, which may never come, and then spend most of that treasured stretch figuring out how to get started again. I hate this second scenario, so I try to stick with the first. To keep the momentum going I write something, anything everyday.
The cool thing about the small chunks approach is that it doesn't take a strong will to make the commitment. Herculean discipline is desirable when it's time to wield a strong arm. Joyful creation loves a light hearted touch.
TIP: Give your creative work first effort of the day. Then go to work for someone else.
