What I Wish People Knew About Writing When You're Tired

Every writer goes through a certain process. Some days, you sit down to write and the words come relatively easily. The coffee (or tea) hits just right. The light is good. The air feels calm, and the atmosphere is on point. You actually feel clear, capable, and like your most creative self for a change. Those days are obviously amazing.

But that's just not my reality most days.

Most days, I'm actually pretty tired... or maybe just overwhelmed, as I stay pretty busy. And when I'm not tired, I'm probably distracted. Sometimes my back hurts (again) or there's a weird noise coming from the fridge. And I'm forever glancing at my email even though I promised myself I wouldn’t. The world always seems to be just a little bit on fire in some way on any given day, but I manage to write anyway.

And you know what? I've learned firsthand that that kind of writing counts, too. I still get things done. My clients are just as happy, and my content to-do list still gets done somehow. 

I'd almost even argue that it counts more, as it builds your voice and your discipline in ways that dreamy, well-rested writing never will. And sometimes a little chaos makes great inspiration for even better writing.

The Upside of Writing When You're Tired

It really does teach you quite a bit, which comes in handy to a greater degree than you really realize when you're new to taking writing seriously or sticking to a schedule. Here are some examples.

How to work with your limits

You learn what your minimum viable effort looks like (and feels like). You learn how to write with five percent of your usual battery left. You figure out where you need to make allowances and when you need to push yourself. It gets a lot easier to plan around interruptions or down days moving forward. That’s useful.

How to listen instead of push

When you don’t really have the energy to bulldoze through a masterpiece, you start listening to what the writing wants to be instead. You learn to follow the thread and meet yourself where you are. You write the part that feels doable first. If you're lucky, you catch a second wind and the rest comes much more easily.

How to drop the ego

Unless you're trying to meet a deadline for a client or something, you’re not necessarily writing to impress anyone. You’re writing to show up and see it through. There’s a weird kind of freedom in that, and there's honesty in it, too.

It Still Gets Done

This is the part I want to emphasize most. As long as you're showing up, you'll get where you want to be eventually. It won't always happen flawlessly or effortlessly, but it does eventually happen.

Sometimes you write a messy draft and fix it later or jot down some quick ideas in a notes app because that’s all you can manage. Other times, you write something so simple it almost embarrasses you, but those pieces often turn out to be the exact words someone else needed to read.

Tired writing is still real writing. And all you have to do to make it happen is try:

• Lower the bar. Aim for a small win. A paragraph, a scene, or even just a caption, if that's truly all you can manage. Something tiny but complete in its own way.
• Keep the channel open. Even if you don't write much, stay connected. Talk to your characters. Think about your themes. Leave the lights on so it's easier to find your way back later.
• Fall back on ritual. Light a candle. Turn on some mood-boosting music. Use the same notebook, or drink something warm and invigorating out of a favorite cup. Give your brain a familiar cue that says, "We're doing the thing again."
• Forgive the fuzziness. Some days, your writing will feel flat or dull. That doesn’t mean you’re failing. It just means you’re tired. And if you're anything like me, it might read better than you think when you come back to it in a better mood.
• Trust the process. Better days when you feel properly on fire about your writing are always just around the corner. So, think of your tired-day work as the scaffolding for better material. It gives Future You something to revise, shape, or polish later.

It Works If You Work It

I used to proudly flip the bird to the general notion of writing every day, especially if I felt tired and uninspired. Instead, I waited until I felt fully rested, fully ready, fully inspired. And I never got anything done (or at least not on my personal projects).

So now I treat writing and publishing like the priorities they truly are to me. Even if I’m half-charged and when I'm not even sure I have anything worth saying. And more often than not, something worth keeping shows up anyway.