For a long time, writing was my go-to stress reliever. It was my hobby and craft. It was where I found the most joy.
But somewhere in the last few years, that changed. I found myself struggling for motivation to write, a lack of things to say, and a general disinterest in the craft itself.
The words wouldn’t come, and I didn’t fight them.
I’ve finally started to find a deeper joy and meaning in writing again, and I wanted to share that with you. If you’re struggling to enjoy writing again when it used to hold such meaning for you, then let me share what helped me: a few questions you can ask yourself, as well as 8 practical tips when you’re trying to get started again!
*Disclaimer: I am human. I write from the heart and from experience: not to suit any algorithm or perfectly curated feed. I have chosen to continue to write a blog in the days of Reddit and Substack because it means that I OWN my articles and ability to finance my writing. I am in the process of removing all affiliate links from my site and minimizing ads so that you may focus on the article itself. Enjoy!
This is out there for any other blogger who has gone through the same thing I did with the Google algorithm update of October 2023.
Writing for Clicks, Views, and Money
My blog became a place where I was regurgitating stuff that was already on the internet in hopes for a few more clicks, a few more dollars in ad revenue. I was using SEO tools to restructure my writing for the BEST chance the algorithm would place my blog post higher on the search results.
It was completely void of any meaning or life. It lacked humanness.
And then in October of 2023, the Google algorithm tanked.
It prioritized AI, sinking many personal blogs to the depths where no one was clicking at all. My traffic tanked with it, leaving me feeling like a failure, drowning in an ocean with no control over the storm.
By March 2024, I was so dejected that I didn’t even visit Wild Simple Joy to moderate comments. I let plugins expire. I didn’t check my Mediavine numbers and I completely assumed I was making zero money.
All of this coincided with a deep feeling of fear over the November 2024 election that I wrote about in my last post.
Writing for Joy
Finally, a year later in April 2025, I had a kind of breakthrough and opened my blog for the first time in a year.
To my surprise, things hadn’t completely collapsed. I was still making a small amount of money, the blog was still there, and it looked… normal. Just the way I had left things.
But more than surprise, I found a sense of pride.
I had started this blog back in 2019 with the plans to write about things that were important to me. To use my voice.
I could have sold it at any point in the hopes of earning a cash sum and running without looking back. But something in me didn’t.
I kept it because it was mine. It was something that others couldn’t take away from me: my voice.
And I feel that it’s time to use my voice again.
4 Questions to Ask Yourself to Enjoy Writing Again
1. Why do I write?
People write for all kinds of different reasons. You might write simply as a preferred method of communication. You may want to persuade people or inform them of a certain topic.
You may write to remember events and encapsulate the people you have known. You might want to express your ideas and beliefs.
Personally, I write to make sense of my world. Writing, whether it be through my blog or through my novels, is an exploration of what it means to be a woman, what it means to be a mother, and what it means to live during this time in human history.
But only you can answer that question for yourself.
2. Who am I writing for?
This was one of the things that tripped me up over the last year. I lost sight of who I was writing for.
I had been writing for the algorithm and it was sucking the soul out of me. In order to enjoy writing again, I had to get back in touch with my true audience: myself and people like me.
I have felt boxed in by society and society’s expectations of me my entire life. And I know I’m not the only one. Other women who feel confined are the people I truly want to reach.
You may want to write to reach across the aisle to another political ideology. You may write to reach children to inform our next generations. So tell me, who are you writing for?
3. What kinds of writing do I prefer?
I have learned over my year hiatus that I don’t like technical writing. I don’t want to write to satisfy algorithms. I want to write for humans.
And in doing so, I want to write about human things. Art, love, relationships, kindness, connection, and what it means to be human in this bizarre time of history.
Not only do I have this blog, but I have also published my first book. (It’s called The Wayfarer Prince, and it’s a new adult romantic fantasy novel, in case anyone is interested!)
Writing novels and short stories helps me connect to multiple sides of myself that usually go unnoticed, both by others and by myself.
Here’s a list of some types of writing for you to get the juices flowing!
- Freeform writing
- Poetry
- Expository writing
- Persuasive writing
- Narrative writing
- Reflective writing
4. At what point in the past did I enjoy writing the most?
What sorts of things were you writing when you used to enjoy it? Where were you in life?
For me, it wasn’t at the height of my blog’s success that I found the most joy in writing. It was when I was first starting out and gaining momentum. It was the thrill of finding my voice and doing something new!
It was in the creation of the blog itself that I loved writing!
In writing my novels, the time I most enjoyed writing was when the ideas and things were coming together to form a cohesive story. Of course, this typically happens toward the end of writing a novel (mine is 105,000 words) or during editing. So this can take a long time to get to!
But it’s so important to know exactly what moments of writing bring you the most joy.
9 More Ideas to Generate a Joy of Writing
1. Write something mundane
I’m not going to kid you, writing a grocery list counted toward my word count when I started writing again just a few weeks ago.
I had been so turned off from my failures at writing that I was paralyzed! Writing the most mundane, boring braindumps helped to get the juices flowing again. (In addition to everything that I talk about in this article.)
2. Adjust your writing environment
Our surroundings can have a profound impact on our ability to write. If you used to write at a coffee shop and it’s not working any more, don’t be afraid to change it up.
Conversely, if you moved house and your creative juices just don’t flow like they did in your last place, you may need to adjust your environment to be more like what it used to be.
Do you like writing in high lighting? Low light? Raining? Clean desk? Messy desk? Do you write while listening to music? Do you have to have complete silence?
Ask yourself some of those questions (and more!) to determine how you might need to adjust your writing environment.
3. Lower the Bar
Expectations are the bane of creativity. Don’t try to write 1,000 words a day. Don’t even try to write 200. Set a very low expectation for yourself.
Once I took “write 1,000 words” off my daily reminder on my phone, the decreased pressure made me more interested in writing! (Of course, I have ADHD, so that might not be something you experience!)
But lowering your expectations can help you reestablish a writing habit that works for your current life.
4. Create a ritual
Speaking of writing habits, some kind of ritual can really help bring back that joy of writing.
Consider making a certain playlist, having a special snack, making yourself a cup of tea, or even just snuggling up with your favorite blanket before you dive into your current writing project.
But give it time to get established. If you make a ritual that is specific to writing and you do that ritual for a couple of weeks, your brain will begin to associate that ritual with writing, and it may be easier to get into that creative frame of mind!
5. Journal and Freewrite
If you’re struggling to write and you want to get back into it, consider counting ALL your writing. In other words, journaling, free writing, and like I mentioned above, even your grocery list can be counted as writing!
I tend to get most of my inspiration for my blog from things that happen in my daily life, or even simply things that I ponder when I’m alone. So find some quiet time and let your mind wander.
Then write down whatever comes out. It might be disjointed gobbledygook, but it’s valid.
6. Reread Your Old Stuff
Another valid way to reconnect to your writing is to simply read old things you wrote. Do this, of course, without a critical eye. Your only goal should be to take it in, remember it, and give your body and mind a refreshed perspective on your writing.
If you find yourself growing sad or starting to pick things apart, set it down!
7. Get Involved with a Writing Community
A writing community can be a lifeline, even for the most introverted of us!
I joined a small writing group on Discord about a year and a half ago, so they were with me when I published my first novel. They were also there when I stopped writing.
I didn’t always meet up with them, and they didn’t press me, but I always knew I had a place that was ready to welcome me back when I wanted to start writing again.
Finding a community of like-minded people who can be supportive, helpful, and motivational to your creative process can make or break your writing career!
8. Don’t critique yourself while you’re writing!
As I mentioned above, criticism is the enemy when you’ve lost your joy of writing. If you critique and edit while you write, you might just be dooming your creativity!
Allow yourself to write without judgment. It’s okay if it’s bad. It’s great if it’s good! Just let things flow without getting bogged down with the perfect word order or punctuation.
9. Set a fun goal, if you wish!
If you’re motivated by goals and intentions, then set one for yourself! Just keep it simple and gentle, and don’t stress about it too much. Just follow the guidelines above to give yourself the support you need to reach the (very easy) goal.
Conclusion
I’ll leave you with this thought. With AI, humans don’t need to write to communicate. So why do it at all?
Because it’s a basic human instinct to want to express ourselves. Writing IS joy when we’re expressing what we love the most, what we’re passionate about, what we have the most expertise or experience on.
Our humanness is what sets us apart. Writing is an art form, and what makes us human brings us together.
