Inspiration...
I have to be one of the laziest writers around. I love to write. I often long to write. On those long nights at work I day dream about sitting at my computer and spinning masterfully worded tales. So when I get the actual time to sit down and do so,why do I always manage to find something else that needs to be done instead? Why do I stab myself in the hand with my own pen, so to speak? Beats the hell out of me.
It seems like unless I force myself out of bed at ungodly-o'clock in the morning and plop down with a cup of tea I never get anything done. I think it is because my brain isn't awake enough to come up with excuses. The days I actually get a chance to sleep in I almost never get any decent work done. Yesterday I managed to edit a page and add a couple of paragraphs to a couple of different stories. That was it. The day before I was in such a state of exhaustion from not sleeping and generally feeling like crap that I don't count it as a writing day. I might have jotted down some notes but that's all.
The other thing I find that helps me get motivation when I have none is to seek out other writers...who are typically also avoiding writing... Usually if I converse with fellow writers I get that whatever it is that I need to get started. Especially if they are having as much trouble as I am. It's like finding out your not really crazy, it's just a writer thing. You see that others are doing the same things you are, agonizing over characters and plots. When I don't have a fellow writer available, or it is 3am and people will slowly disembowel me if I wake them up, I read writing blogs. One of the ones I like the most is by and author named Chuck Wendig.
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/ There are tons of others out there, but Chuck tends to write things in a very blunt way that for some reason makes me pull up my work and get serious. Checking out the homepages for my favorite writers is also another good fall back for those less than productive days.