Writing Update: Finding motivation to write

This is the first post of this kind on my blog, but I’d love to keep you in touch with my writing progress. I think it is a great way for me to not only share my progress, struggles, and successes but a place where I can ask questions and get some advice from other authors as well.

 

 

Today I want to talk a little about finding the motivation to write. We all know that setting time aside to sit and write can be difficult. Especially when there are so many other things we’d rather be doing, i.e. reading. I participated in NaNoWriMo last year and managed to write 52,000 words in that month. That’s crazy!! Especially for a mom of two boys (2 and 7). This is what showed me that if I put the time in I can do it but how do I manage to get motivated to do it?

 

That’s what I want to ask all of you. How do you motivate yourself to write? Do you reward yourself for hitting certain word counts? Are you motivated by just having your book written and finished?

 

 

Here are a few ways to get or stay motivated to write that I have found as I progress through my writing journey.

 

Clean your Writing Space

It doesn’t matter if your writing space is on the couch once the kids have gone to bed, in your room at a desk, or at the kitchen table. Before you sit down to write, clean your space. Some might enjoy their messy space because they still know where everything is but for me, I can’t stand a mess. The first thing I do when I want to try to write is clear up my desk. It just clears the mind so you can focus more on the story you are writing. This is a great way to remove any distractions from your work area.

 

 

Imagine you are writing

I know, this sounds crazy! “How will imagining myself writing make me want to write?” Well…think of what makes you love writing. For me, the sound of the key clicking as I type out the thoughts in my head is so satisfying. Although, my mother-in-law first thought it was squirrels running across our roof. I type really fast…

 

The smell of a hot cup of tea near me, having my pen and notebook to take notes about things I want to change as I write, those are all things that I love about sitting down to write. My favorite thing about imagining myself writing though is the smile on my face as I write a great dialogue scene or when I fix a plot hole, etc.

 

Remember why you write

This goes along with the first one. Remembering why you wanted to sit and write a book in the first place is sometimes needed. I do this with my blog when I still realize that my numbers are not as high as I would like. I remember why I wanted this. So, take a minute and look back.

 

Make a daily goal and commit to it

Now, this does not mean you should have to write 2k words a day. Even if it is writing one chapter or a single paragraph, set the goal and be consistent. If you are like me and have a busy schedule, set out to write maybe 200 words a day. It sounds like a lot but once you get writing, it will fly through your fingers. If you write over your goal, great!

 

I’ve seen great ways that people find to reward themselves for hitting their goal. Some color in a small picture as their word count increases. Others buy small snacks or other things to treat themselves. When I did NaNoWriMo, I made a promise to myself that if I hit 50,000 words that I would be allowed to spend $100 on whatever I wanted. Of course, I ended up buying a few books but I also grabbed an outfit.

 

Remember the first draft is basically trash

Don’t let your idea of having a perfect story, amazing world building and related characters scare you from writing. The first draft will need a lot of work! It is something I have to fight to remind myself of often. You have to remember that the goal of the first draft is only to get it down on paper, get the story out of your head. If you are afraid of the quality of the draft, you’ll never write it.

 

Don’t be afraid to take breaks

I take a break every few hours while writing, allowing myself to refresh. I go to the bathroom and walk around for a bit to get the blood flowing. Sometimes taking a break and walking around will help me with a specific point in the story I am struggling with. When I come back from a break I feel refreshed, ready to sit and write again.

 

Get a great writing buddy

I cannot say enough about this one. I met my writing buddy in November and she has been nothing other than fantastic from the start. A writing buddy is someone who can keep you accountable for writing daily or just be there for support. I text her sometimes just to see how she is doing. We toss around story ideas back and forth and I am sure when I get farther along and then through edits, she’ll be happy to become my critique partner as well. You never know how invaluable a fellow author can be when they are standing beside you along the way, both helping one another. That is a support system that has the possibility to grow into a great friendship.

.

 

My thoughts at the end of the day are that nobody is going to write this book other than me. At the same time, I will not binge write and sacrifice my health to get it done. I am going to start trying to build healthy writing habit such as writing every day. Creating a book is a journey and each person’s journey takes different amounts of time. Despite some debates among the writing community, there is no right or wrong way to write your novel. Do what works best for you and don’t let anyone tear you down for it.