We tend to think of creative writing as something playful, and in fact it should have that aspect.
When we lose that, often we lose our motivation.
A good example of this came from a member of my online mentoring group.
He emailed me, "One problem I am having is that working on my book has started to feel too much like work.
This is also true of research even when it is about a topic that I would normally read about for pleasure.
As soon as I tend to think of something as being something that I have to do I tend to procrastinate.
This has been true of hobbies, sports that I enjoy and academic subjects that I have studied.
" I think this phenomenon--of things we normally enjoy starting to feel a bit of a burden--is very common with creative people.
We like having a feeling of total freedom and as soon as something goes from being what we want to do to what we should do, part of us wants to rebel.
It reminds me of the opening scene of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," where Sundance will leave only if the other guy invites him to stay...
What's the solution? One is to use playful methods to get back to making the task more enjoyable again.
For instance, set a timer and see how much you can get done in a short period of time, or play 'task roulette' by writing each task on an index card, shuffling them, and doing them in the order they come up; or listen to a new CD while doing the task.
When we find or restore the playful side of creative writing, it becomes fun again.
At the same time, it's important to be aware that it's not all fun.
Creativity involves destruction.
Something old has to give way to something new and it's not a comfortable process.
One sacrifice typically is how you currently use your time: Want to write a novel? What are you doing now that you'll give up in order to have the time? How will that impact on people around you who expect you to give them lots of time? Another sacrifice can be money.
For instance, if you decide to publish your own book in hard copy that will require a certain investment up front.
But it's a different sacrifice, and the hardest one, that usually isn't mentioned: pride.
Any truly creative venture entails the risk of failure.
That may sound romantic in the abstract, but it's painful in actuality.
It's not much fun to find that you've spent a year or two writing a novel or screenplay that nobody wants.
Failures become entertaining only when you look back on them from a position of success! Unfortunately there isn't any easy answer.
You have to take the hits.
If you can't take them, find a different creative outlet.
The destructive part of creativity is good only if it's not destroying you.
It's when you can balance the playful part of creative writing with the serious side that you make progress.
Then you will judge your success not only by whether your book or screenplay is bought but also by whether you enjoyed writing it and how the process of creating it affected you.