“Inspiration usually comes during work, not before it.”
Madeleine L’Engle

Yes, Virginia, there is a secret to being inspired. People who study great geniuses in the arts quickly come to realize that these people not only work intensely, they also work regular shifts on a constant and continuous basis.

Less-disciplined people think they should wait until they’re inspired before they do something. But superstars don’t wait until they’re inspired to start working. They get started and then they get inspired. And since they know that this is how things work, they do this over and over again. They approach their work schedule like a workout: They commit and follow through. Commit and follow through. Commit and follow through.

And as they keep doing this, they find their stamina increases, their work improves, inspiration visits more often, and they can weather the lows because they know that if they just keep working, the next high is just a matter of time.

So start writing and keep at in on a constant and continuous basis and inspiration will show up. But if you’re stuck at the starting gate, then take heart. As my good friend and mentor Rob Gilbert says, “It’s the start that stops most people.” If getting started is an issue for you, then apply the “15 Minute Rule:” Just commit to writing for 15 minutes and tell yourself that you can quit after that if you want to. When the 15 minutes end, it’s more than likely that you’ll want to keep going, so do it. And write on!