hi! sorry for the super late response, but better late than never, right? (also this is EMBARRASSINGLY long. bear with me)

i have a few tricks up my sleeve for writing, although they're really what works for me, so i can't guarantee they'll work for you. writing is a form of art, and just like painting or music, everyone's approach to creation will be different.

one of the most important things to my writing is music! a lot of my fic concepts start out as a single scene inspired by a song: the easiest i example i can think of is windows being inspired by yoru ni kakeru by yoasobi, although the scene i'm referring to probably won't even be published for at least another ten chapters. i have a historical magic/vampire au i hope to publish soon that came to me while i was listening to the main theme for castle in the sky, my favorite studio ghibli movie. i'll turn off all the lights, lay down, and listen to music until i get into the right mood. often times lyrics have nothing to do with either. it's just vibe.

i like to take walks when it's dark out. i listen to my music, find a bench, and think. sometimes i'll pause the music for a bit and just listen to the quiet. in my experience it's good to get out to a 'neutral' place such as a park, a field, or even a library when you're doing any kind of creative work instead of places you're used to, like an at-home desk, a bed, or a kitchen table. it eliminates a lot of distractions and helps me focus, personally. a lot of my windows chapter 10 motivation came to me while i was sitting in a field and staring at the moon in silence. it sounds very, very silly, but it's true.

i also write based off my own mental state, which can be problematic, so it's not really a recommendation, but it's true for me. sometimes i have trouble writing touya's POV because he's very much influenced by a bout of depression and loneliness i experienced during quarantine. sometimes i feel like in order to write him genuinely i have to get into that headspace again which has the undeniable potential to be harmful for my mental health, but i've gotten better at separating my own mental state from his.

i bring this up because i do think a lot of my best writing is done when i'm feeling the same emotions my characters are. that's how i know my 'heart is in it', because it literally feels like it is. like i said, writing is an art, and that's the nature of a lot of art. it is absolutely possible to use your own emotions as a way to fuel your own motivation to write without relying too much on it. these emotions don't have to be negative, either!

final long paragraph-y thing is: seek out new experiences that relate to whatever it is you're writing. i'm working on an original historical fiction piece right now, and i get a lot of motivation whenever i'm able to go somewhere relating to the period it's set in, read literature from the time, et cetera. when i write fanfiction i like to consume content of the characters i haven't yet, including fan content! scrolling pinterest is also 100% recommended but beware of distraction lol

sorry if this is all a little convoluted. if you've read stuff i've written you'd know that it's near impossible for me to write things that aren't character studies or emotionally charged in one way or another. (contrary is the closest i've gotten, and i struggled with that a LOT.) if you're trying to find motivation to write fluff i am unfortunately not the author to ask. everything for me is somewhat of a personal emotional undertaking. writing doesn't have to be like that for you, and it doesn't make your writing less genuine or anything if you're more laid back about it! all writing is artistic expression no matter what!

here are a few much more simple tips:
- i almost always like to have some kind of hot drink while i write. coffee usually (especially if i'm writing windows), tea, or hot cocoa are my go tos.
- i am autistic and adhd and sometimes i need to stim while i write, otherwise i end up chewing my fingernails or just completely losing interest while i'm trying to think over a sentence. if you tend to feel restless while you write, try finding something to fidget with!
- if you make a playlist specifically for writing, do not listen to it in any other circumstance. make your brain associate that specific playlist with writing. otherwise your writing playlist will do absolutely nothing for you. (i've learned this the hard way.)
- see if there's a time of day you tend to want to write, and then try to organize your schedule around that. if you're like me, and you always want to write exactly when you can't, like at work, keep a pen and a few post-its notes around to jot down phrases or small ideas for later.
- do not tear yourself up over bad writing, especially in your first draft. your first draft is supposed to be bad. save editing for later, first drafts are for getting the story down on the page. some of my first drafts look like scripts: almost entirely dialogue with only basic actions noted. worry about beautiful descriptions and language later -- just get that story out of your head. (if there's a certain piece of description you want to write but don't have the energy for right now, leave a note or a comment about it on the document/page. no one's going to see your first draft but you.)

that's about all i can think of at the moment! sorry this is so long and so late but i wanted to help as best i could! let me know if there's anything else you want to know or if anything here helps you out!