I think we're all convinced of this at some point or other. When I think back to the crap I submitted to Omni Magazine back in the 1980s, I cringe. I not only didn't have a clue what I was doing, I was so bad no one wanted to tell me how bad I was. You'll get past it. Seriously.
I went through a period like this and starting making it a habit to stop all writing sessions mid-sentence. That helped, too.
I write for work. At the end of the day, my creative juices are drained and I'm exhausted. Moreover -- and this is a big one for me -- I can't sneak in 10-30 minutes of writing in between, say, work and seeing my girlfriend. There is also a more technical aspect which stops me (and I will post something on this soon): I've been having trouble formulating a story from an idea. Because this happens, I can't just start writing -- i feel lost. Deeper than all this, however, is the fear of failure; of realizing I ain't no god damned writer.
I went through a period in the late 90s like this when I was a technical writer. I got up two hours earlier and wrote before going to work. The technical writing suffered, but I didn't care. And, now that I think about it, I could be single-handedly responsible for the demise of the well-written software manual. What got me past this was reading Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain. I don't give any guarantees, but it worked for me... that and lots of patience aimed at myself... which was probably the hardest thing I ever learned to do. Well, somebody thought you were because it's part of (or all of) your job (you didn't say which). As for whether or not you are a fiction writer, only time will tell. Give yourself time. It doesn't happen overnight.
I sleep I am at work I am stuck in a variety of writer's block. But these usually go away or I MAKE THEM GO AWAY! As soon as I realise that's what is happening Can't think of anything else right this moment
The reasons I don't write are all people: Clients Kids Husband Friends Myself (I'm perfectionistic to a fault, which makes it difficult to be happy with anything I write, draining my motivation) *This is in order of the people who require the majority of my time, which makes me sad for my husband who is number 3 on the list. Note to self: work on that.
This is all very me. There is no short writing session for me. I feel that my creative process requires an enormous amount of time organizing my thoughts, convincing myself to start already, and then getting in the zone. Once I'm in the zone, we're golden. It's getting there which is the problem. Then there's the issue of feeling like I have the opposite problem that another member mentioned -- I have the words, but I'm rarely satisfied with the story. And then yeah, all the self-deprecation that I'm really damn good at.
I have heard the expression 'inertia' and I think it applies to me. I appreciate there are true stories about people who wrote novels on their lunchbreaks, but I just can't do it for trying. I don't get anywhere for the first hour or so, so 60 minute writing slots are flat out unproductive. I don't even create 'bad' work, there's just nothing there for awhile. Those short time chunks are better spent on a treadmill.
My imagination is dead. Sometimes, I'm so tired, I just blank my mind to avoid being anxious but that's no good for generating ideas or motivation.
This is something I've always struggled with as I'm sure most do, how to get myself going when it comes time to write. And here are some of the solutions I've come up with. They get me into the right frame of mind: I go back half a chapter (sometimes more) and start reading. By the time I catch up to where I stopped writing, I've found the mood (or maybe the mode) and is easier to get going again, and (lately) I come onto this forum and read/reply to posts for about an hour before I start writing. It reminds me of what my job is and that I have a pretty good idea how to do it. Okay, I only have two, but they work for me.
Interesting responses, but they address external distractions. I believe the original question is "why don't YOU write"? You find time to do all these other things, whether out of obligation or necessity, and we all have extra time (we do, don't say we don't) and yet...so people, fess up - why don't YOU write? Think about it.
First of all: You didn't answer yourself. Sorry for being harsh, but I am kind of pissed off here. It feels to me like 'give but I bow out of giving anything else in return'. The question itself is a valid one, but there are numerous threads in here which deal with discouragement and other reasons people don't write. Look up these threads if you are interested.
Just thought up of another one: When my stories split into two different versions and both vie for my attention with, "Oooh! Oooh! Look at me! Write about me! I'm more interesting than the other one!!!" Stories are like petulant little children sometimes...
Generally because I'm tired. Writing takes a lot of mental energy, and sometimes I just don't have it. Stupid work, getting in the way...
For me, major dry spells. The moment you think YES I will write today, you look at the screen and just nothing comes to you. But being asleep and you have FABULOUS idea's and you're like that's it there my story, and then BOOM its gone. Also writing a dissertation isn't giving me ANY inspiration to write anything, but I think that's because its to do with hospitality and you know non inspirational things like staffing, laws and finances, ugh. OOOOH also the need to find a job, and not getting anything for being 'over' qualified for the jobs you've applied for and under experienced for the jobs you've been recommended to try and get. That drains your head and makes writing so much harder
Sometimes when I end a writing session I write a little summery of where I was taking the scene to jog my mind for the next day. Sometimes I'll re-read a scene to pick up the tone again. Sometimes I'll read a scene in a book I like just to get keyed up in the I-can-do-that mode. Other than that I just push on and write.
I free-write for five or ten minutes. I just type whatever is in my head, and that helps lubricate my writing brain.