Last month for the National Day of Writing, writers tweeted their reasons for writing using the hashtag #WhyIWrite. Answers ranged from the deep and philosophical to the practical. We write to maintain sanity, to be heard, to pay bills. We write for our readers.

But in the day-to-day push to create something that might be “marketable” it’s easy to lose sight of why we write. Sometimes reminding ourselves of our deepest, most heartfelt reasons for writing can help us get back on track.

If you’re stuck, you might take a break and for one minute or 10 write the words “I write because….” When you’ve completed your thought, write the words “I write because…” again and keep going. When you’re done, post your favorite reasons above your writing space. Catching sight of those vital words on a rough day might just help you keep going.