Monday Blues

I have to be honest: I do not feel like doing anything today.

I just came off a fantastic weekend, filled with bright sunshine, good music, things I love to do ... and fell first-thing into a rainy Monday. Yuck.

It happens, right? Sure it does. Even if you're fortunate enough to be able to do exactly what you want to do. Even if you work at home, so you can slop around in your gym shorts all day.

Even if you love your work, sometimes you just don't feel like doing it. Especially on a rainy Monday.

On days like this, when the entire world seems shrouded and dim, it's tough to break away from the influences of things like weather and low-ebb Monday energy. It's almost traditional; on Monday, nothing gets done.

But you have to get things done. There is simply no way around it: stories do not write themselves. You have to write them.

As a writer, a case of the Mondays is not an earth-shattering crisis. In fact, there are a few Friday-beforehand strategies that can help you avoid it altogether. As I seem to have fallen into a habit of giving lists of "threes," here are three ways you can avoid the dreaded Monday blahs:

1. End your writing day in the middle of a scene. This leaves you a little "cliffhanger" to look forward to when you sit down to begin work on Monday. This is particularly useful when writing longer works, like novels. But it also works well when writing short stories. Depending on your output and the length of the story, it can take three or four sessions to complete a rough draft. This gives you plenty of opportunities for intentionally finishing in the middle of a scene.

2. Write every day. One of the great things about writing is choice. You choose the time and place. Lots of writers who make their money doing something else write only on weekends. While I don't recommend that approach - it's difficult to maintain continuity and build momentum with so many days between writing sessions - I highly recommend writing on weekends to connect your Friday session to your Monday session. If you're on a roll and writing well, you may already be doing this. If you're struggling, you may be making excuses not to write. I definitely understand those days (I'm having one today, remember?), but I also know from experience how difficult it is to pick up where you left off after several days have gone by.

3. Settle for half your usual word count. Some days, it just isn't going to happen. Give yourself a guilt-free break; what you write might do something good for humanity, but we're not curing cancer here. It's much easier to coax the horse from canter to gallop than it is to climb back on after falling.

To these three tidbits I add one piece of advice that encompasses all of your work, creative or otherwise: trust yourself. There may be days where it's better not to write at all. Sometimes you need to fill the empty cup, as I've mentioned in a previous article. Writing every day requires discipline, and a workmanlike approach - but when it comes right down to it, we're supposed to be doing this because it's fun. If it isn't fun, take a day off and feel good about it. If you take several days off and don't miss working, it's time to take personal inventory and be sure you love doing this. Passion brings joy - even on rainy Mondays.

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