Writing is one of those things that’s much easier said than done. All the wishing and intent in the world won’t write that book for you, or finish that second draft. But it’s tough to stay motivated, no matter how much you love telling a good story. Maybe you’re worn out after pulling an all-nighter or surviving another long day at the office. Maybe the power’s out and the fridge is broken and everything seems to be falling apart. Or maybe you’re just tired of feeling like you’re screaming into the void.

Whatever the reason, there are days (sometimes many of them) that just don’t feel like “writing days.” But as so many of my favorite authors have cautioned us, writing is as prone to the laws of inertia as any physical object. If you stop writing for too long, you tend to stay stopped, and it gets that much harder to get started again.

I can’t promise that all of these will work for you every time, but here are just a few of the places I look for writing motivation when I need it most:

• Motivational speeches and writing advice, especially by the writers I admire most. There’s nothing quite like hearing one of your heroes give a good pep talk. Neil Gaiman’s University of the Arts keynote address from back in 2012 is saved to my favorites, and has gotten me out of more than one deep, dark bout of artistic depression.
• Inspirational quotes, cliche though they sometimes may be, also help me from time to time. Whenever I come across a quote I really like, I go to the mirror in my room and write it at the top with a dry erase pen, erasing whatever old one was recorded there previously. Sometimes these are specifically about writing or books; sometimes they’re just about being brave, or strong, or kind. My all-time favorite comes from “Jerusalem” by William Blake: “I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man’s. I will not reason and compare: my business is to create.”
• Positive feedback can be a much-needed ego boost when your morale is particularly low. Whenever I get positive commentary on my writing, I like to save it in a handy folder where I can easily access it whenever I start to give into doubt, depression, or the ongoing curse that is imposter syndrome. Having a resource like this on hand reminds you that yes, people like you, they really do! If you’re very new to writing and don’t have any feedback yet, you can do the same thing but with your own words—leave yourself positive notes to read whenever you need a little push in the right direction.
• Reading good writing can be a double-edged sword when it comes to motivation, since some people react negatively by thinking, “Man, I’ll never be that good. Why try?” The key here is to train yourself, if you haven’t already, to react with awe and optimism instead. Tell yourself, “This is why I want to write. I want to make other people feel what this makes me feel.” That’s how I like to see it, anyway.
• Image collages and vision boards can be a great tool for turning your abstract ideas of success into concrete visuals to work toward and be inspired by. For me, this mainly consists of adding to, or reviewing, the content on a Pinterest board I created specifically for this purpose. This board is nothing but books—beautiful old books on wooden shelves, cats napping on books, books sitting next to warm cups of tea or coffee, and the most beautiful libraries in the world, full from floor to ceiling of—you guessed it—books. It reminds me not just of how much I love you-know-whats, but of how great it’s going to feel when one of my novels finally finds its way onto one of those lovely shelves.

Of course, at the end of the day, motivation isn’t some external pick-me-up you can grab on the go like a power-up on a video game racetrack—it has to be rooted somewhere within you. Ask yourself why you write, and set aside logic and judgment and listen to whatever answers come with an open mind. Once you have your answer, write it down. Sketch it. Memorize it. And then, once it’s engraved on the sinews of your heart and in the marrow of your bones, use it. Start writing—and once you do, don’t stop.