As a writer, your greatest asset is your mind.  A mind brimming with ideas can make writing a joy; while a grumpy, sleepy, or otherwise balking mind can wreck your day.

If you're a commercial writer, you can't wait for inspiration.  You have to be able to write well day after day, whether you feel like it or not, whether you're hungover or not, whether you have any ideas or not.  Few bosses will allow you to take a day off just because your brain is foggy or otherwise indisposed.

Unfortunately, many beginning writers assume that their talents are at the mercy of the Muse.  If she smiles on them with an image or a memorable line, they scribble furiously, confident in their talent.  But when the Muse goes quiet, their brain goes silent as well.

You cannot afford to think this way if you want to be a commercial writer.  You can't just write when you feel like it.  You don't have the time to wait until an idea comes to you.  You've got to teach yourself to write even if your mind is somewhere else.

Tip #1: If you don't know what to write, write garbage.

The easiest way to break yourself of excuses like, "I don't know what to write," or, "I don't feel like it," is to write something anyway.

Write garbage.  Write down every thought you have about the topic.  Know that you won't use any of what you've written, so it doesn't have to be any good.  (Trust me, even the best writer starts out with material that often looks like it was written by an 8th grader.)

You're writing because the sheer act of writing lubes your brain, so to speak.  It gets your juices flowing.  It teaches that mental block who's boss.

I've always found that the worst moment in a project is when I'm just starting it.  I feel incredibly resistant to putting those first words down on the page, because inevitably they suck.  I feel so far away from having it finished.  The task seems enormous and beyond my capabilities.

It's so easy to distract yourself from starting by surfing the web, writing some emails, doing some research, getting a cup of tea, making some phone calls...

But if you give into distraction, you're just feeding the monster inside that wants to control your writing.

Tip #2: You're in control.

Do you have a monster inside?  I do.  My monster is my mind.  My mind feels like a recalcitrant donkey.  I kick it and kick it with vigorous morning walks, endless cups of tea, cold showers, whatever it takes to perk it up, and it still feels fuzzy and can't focus.  It refuses to do any work for me.  I'll have four articles to finish by the end of the day, and it will be 11 o'clock and I'll still be surfing celebrity gossip sites.

I feel sympathy for chronic fatigue sufferers who experience brain fog.  Brain fog is when your thinking processes stop working like they should, as if a fog has rolled in and blanketed your brain.  It's enough to make you mad.

But I can't let my mental state affect my work.  I've got to be able to work whether or not my mind feels like joining me on the task.

So I've learned to go ahead even if I don't feel supported by my mind, my imagination, or my Muse.

When it comes to getting words on a page, you cannot be a victim to forces beyond your control.

You do not have to let your emotions or feelings stop you from getting on with the task of writing.  If you do, that's your choice; take responsibility for it.

YOU control your writing.  Not your feelings, not your emotions, and not the Muse.

Assert that control over your ability to write.  You're not powerless to resist distraction.  You can write any time you feel like it -- even if your feelings disagree.

Tip #3: Learn what it takes for your mind to perform optimally.

I heard it said that Isaac Asimov, one of the most prolific writers of all time, would line up a row of typewriters at his desk.  In the morning, he'd begin typing on whatever project was in the first typewriter.  Then, when his brain stalled, instead of taking a break or getting a cup of coffee, he'd just move to the next typewriter and began working on his next project.  When his flow of ideas dried up, he'd move to the next project.

Whether or not this anecdote is true, it illustrates an important point:

Work through your sticking points.

Often, our brain gets bored with whatever we're working on, and it responds by drying up the flow of ideas.  We get stuck.  We stop writing.

How you respond to this is extremely important.  Will you feel frustrated and give up?  Or will you take charge of the situation by doing whatever is needed to get your mind thinking again?

Over the years, I've learned little tricks to get the most productivity out of my writing day.  For example, I've found that taking breaks interrupts my flow, so I don't take long breaks during work hours.  I've found that my brain goes dead around half-past three (a habit that may have been trained into me from school), so I stop writing then and go and do some exercise until my brain is back on track.  I also find that it takes me a long time to wake up and get with the program in the mornings, so I start my day with a brisk walk outdoors, which seems to get my mental juices flowing.

You need to find out for yourself what your brain likes best.  Some brains prefer working all night, while others prefer to work during the day.  Some prefer working to music, while others need absolute silence.  Some work best with pen and paper, while others prefer the keyboard.

Experiment with writing at different times in different environments until you find what works for you.

Heck, I even used to write in the food court at my local Wal-Mart.  I've written sitting in my parked car in a massive parking lot, with activity going on all around me.  I've tried writing at the library, but I found that wasn't for me, as the silence put me to sleep.

No More Excuses

Ultimately, your ability to write depends on nothing more critical than the use of your fingers.  As long as you can type, you're able to write.

(I can attest that an ability to sit is needed as well.  Once, when I wrecked my back, I was told that I wasn't supposed to sit for two weeks. I tried to type lying on the floor with a pillow propped under me; man, my shoulders got sore!  So your ability to sit is pretty important, too.)

If you want to be a commercial writer, you can't rely on inspiration or motivation.  Those feelings are too fickle to support a full-time writing career.

The only thing a real writer needs to write is an opportunity.  A notepad, a pen, and away he or she goes.