Are you slogging through the marathon of the middle of your book and feel you have no gas left in the tank?

Or have you recently had to trash everything you’ve done and start back at square one?

Maybe the idea of writing your book so overwhelms you that you can’t picture ever finishing—which has kept you from even starting.

I can tell you from experience, you can rekindle a passion for writing—even when you want to quit.

Just look at Stephen King.

Ever notice he announces his retirement almost every time he finishes a huge book?

This from a guy who has written more than 60 novels (including 7 under the name Richard Bachman) and enjoys a net worth of over $400 million.

Even he comes to feel as if he’s finished, spent, unable to write another word.

After I had finished one of my own novels and couldn’t imagine ever wanting to write another word, I mentioned that to Stephen.

His response was priceless.

“Whatever you do,” Stephen said, “don’t make any decisions—or worse, any announcements—right now.”

He told me he finally learned to quit going public with his retirement declarations when he realized how short-lived were his exits. “Take some time for R&R,” he said. “Think about anything but writing.”

Stephen said he would kick back, do nothing, read, watch TV, and try to keep up with the news. And then an idea would form. It might be based on something real, something he’d heard or read, or it might come out of nowhere.

But it was always a what-if question.

What if it turned out that guy was an alien?

What if I were the only one who knew?

What if his wife…?

What if their child…?

Soon Stephen King would grow restless and feel that old stirring. And before he knew it, he was out of sorts until he returned to the keyboard, “suddenly un-retired.”

That conversation kept me from quitting, and just as he predicted, I was soon back at it.

Since thinking I could never write again or even want to, I’ve written several more books, running my total to 189 and counting.

Make no mistake, finishing each one so wholly empties me of any reserves, I still honestly believe I’m done.

But I don’t say that aloud, and neither do I make any decisions while in that state of emptiness. I get away and regroup, and that has proven to be the secret to staying motivated.

So don’t despair when discouragement has you paralyzed. And whatever you do, don’t quit. Stop forcing yourself to face that keyboard. Instead, realize this is all part of the journey.

Take a few weeks off. Take your mind off your book. Come back when fresh ideas draw you back, and you’ll find yourself writing with renewed motivation.

What rekindles your passion for writing? Tell me in the comments below.

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