The beginning of your writing journey can be thrilling yet challenging. Often, you will encounter obstacles like self-doubt, lack of time, and creative blocks soon after you start a new project. How do you stay motivated through all of that? Well, it requires the right mindset and detailed goals.
There are two common reasons new writers get lost and abandon their project: (1) they didn’t plan properly and (2) they follow every good idea they have.
To set yourself up for success, stop now to develop your world, characters, and plot. Even if you’re a pantser, you need to know what kind of atmosphere your story takes place in, what your characters want and fear, and why their problem is such a big deal to them. If you’ve planned out everything but still feel stuck because you don’t know what your character would do next, skip that scene. Write out of order. There are no laws against it. In fact, it is encouraged. Write the pieces of your story that you are the most excited about first and worry about filling in the details connecting them later. Who knows, by the time you get to those filler sections, you might have inspiration for those, too!
If you have too many ideas, don’t panic. You don’t want to shut off your creative well – it will dry up and need replenishing eventually, so take advantage of it now – but you also don’t want to follow every new twist or turn that presents itself, often to the detriment of your story. Instead, keep a digital document or physical notebook on hand for ideas. Whenever a new one pops up, jot it down. This releases a bit of the burden on you and allows you to focus on your story.
In order to do that, you need motivation.
What is motivation?
Motivation is the driving force that causes us to act towards our goals. However, our motivation is often affected by our daily lives and commitments. To stay motivated, you need to understand yourself.
The What: What motivates you?
Is it growing as a person? Seeing progress on a project? Gaining attention from others when you have a completed novel? Whether psychological, emotional, or physical, understanding what motivates you allows you to hack the system. From this, you can personalize your path forward with goals, rewards, and events that will make you excited to complete your writing project.
The Why: Why did you start writing? What do you still write? Why do you want to write? What do you want to accomplish?
Is it because writing is a part of who you are? Is it because a mentor in your life recommended it? Do you want to share an important lesson or experience? Do you want to inspire a love of reading and imagination in readers? Whatever the reason, knowing your “why” can you maintain your focus and determination. Whenever you feel down and uncertain about your writing, you can come back to this reasoning and remember the purpose behind it all.
What makes up motivation?
Now that you know what motivation is, you need to understand the elements that create motivation. Then, when you find yourself lacking motivation, you can assess yourself and work through the problem.
Awareness of the problem
Some people may feel that motivation is the absence of a problem. It’s only when we begin to understand what the problem is and how to solve it (or go around it), that motivation creeps back in. In that case, if you’re feeling down about your project or even bored, we must assume there is a problem. The first step to solving it is identifying it.
A recurrent writing problem is “I have no time to write.” Writing takes time and effort. Between a job, friends and family, and other daily commitments, it can be difficult to fit your project in.
The second step is subverting the problem. It’s not that you don’t have time to write, it’s that you don’t usually have ideal conditions or the ideal time to write in. Rather than a peaceful weekend at home or in the corner of a cafe, you have fifteen minutes at the bus stop every weekday morning.
Now change the wording to speak positively to yourself. Instead of “I don’t have time to write” you could say “I get fifteen minutes to write every day.” A lot can be accomplished in those fifteen minutes. Changing your mindset and approach can do a lot to drive your productivity.
Importance of writing
This goes back to your why. Whether it’s because of passion, earning money, sharing ideas, or making friends, understanding your goals for writing can fuel your drive to continue.
When you know why writing is so important to you, you can begin to look at what keeps you away from it. Is it just other priorities in your life? Or is it because you don’t have a good support system? No matter the reason, it’s important that you model for yourself how to build yourself up again. Instead of putting yourself down for not writing enough, go out of your way to celebrate the times you do write. Instead of “I only got to sit down and write two days this week. I wanted to write every day,” think “Despite how busy I am right now, I managed to find time twice this week to sit down and write!”
Confidence and hope
These are vital for maintaining motivation. Doubt often plagues writers, beginners and experienced alike. It’s easy to torture yourself with doubts like, “Is my writing any good?” or “Are my stories even being read?” Remember that your work matters. You must believe that what your writing can entertain, inspire, or even help someone. You just have to step outside of your comfort zone and put it out there.
To build your self-confidence, acknowledge what you do well as a writer. This can be in a notebook (ex: write five things you wrote well) or just something you say aloud to yourself before each writing session (ex: my writing reveals a strong character voice).
How to stay motivated
First, before you start any writing project, say why. Leave space at the beginning of your document or notebook to explain why you are excited about this project and what you look forward to on your journey with it. When you lose motivation, you can review your initial thoughts and feelings to be inspired again.
The following are some additional step tips and recommendations to help you find motivation throughout the entire writing process. We’ll look at your goals, routine, writing habits, tools, passion, and support.
Set clear goals
Your goals should clearly state what you want to achieve, then break it down into manageable steps. For example, instead of just “Write a novel,” add small goals or steps that lead up to that outcome, like “build a main character,” “decide on a conflict,” “create a bulleted outline,” and “draft Chapter One.” Both your short-term and long-term goals should complement each other in helping you accomplish your dream.
Short-term goals look like daily, weekly, or monthly tasks, such as reaching a specific word count, writing a specific scene, or completing research.
Long-term goals look like monthly, quarterly, or even yearly deadlines, such as finishing a chapter or an entire draft by a certain date. Tip: treat your deadlines as if they are work you need to complete for a client – this gives you an extra push to finish them on time.
Each of your goals should have an appropriate reward – something that makes you want to sit down and write in order to receive the benefits. Lack of rewards can lead to burnout because instead of looking at your project with excitement, it may feel like a chore, or worse, boring.
Having accountability for your goals can also keep you on track. There are a number of ways you can ensure this:
- You could enlist someone’s help – a partner, family member, friend, or writing partner – to follow up on your goals and make sure you’ve achieved them.
- You could make your deadlines public by posting them on your social media. When the time comes, be honest about succeeding or failing to meet them.
- You could make a bet with someone about meeting your deadline.
Know when to push yourself while writing
When it comes to writing, start out small and basic. Don’t dive headfirst into creating a draft that outlines every minute detail. Begin with a general feeling you have about a chapter or scene and gradually expand on that. Write a sentence about what happens, use that to create a short summary, and so on.
While you’re at it, focus on drafting until you’ve completed the drafting stage. Editing at this point will slow you down and cause your motivation to lose steam. If you come across a change you want to make, jot down a note about it and continue drafting as if it’s already been made.
The easiest way to maintain momentum in the drafting stage is to focus on reaching the 50% mark. Once you reach the midpoint, the pace of the story picks up dramatically as your character shifts from reacting to acting and runs head-first into the main conflict. From there, the ending will be in sight and you’ll have even more inspiration to finish.
If you still find yourself bored or unmotivated, there are two things you can do: explore forms and stop writing this story. Exploring different forms of writing can allow you to find new ways to express your ideas. Each project is unique. The first thing to do is see how your idea would fit as a poem, short story or epistolary novel. The second thing you can do is to be real with yourself. What’s the story in your mind? You know the one – you’ve been too afraid to write it. That’s the one that actually excites you. Go to the next level and actually write it.
Remember what’s important
Reflect on the times when you couldn’t write due to other obligations, overwhelming thoughts, or physical limitations. Now that you have the opportunity to write, appreciate it, and use that appreciation to fuel your motivation.
If you come across a point in your project that you become stuck or dejected, you may find it helpful to start writing journals for your WIPs. Document each writing session, noting the date, word count, and a brief summary of how it went. A journal can serve as a reminder of your progress and help you get through rough patches by showing that you’ve overcome similar challenges before, with previous projects.
If you’re dejected because the troll in your mind can only find negative things to say about your progress, give in to it. Sit down and write out whatever bad thoughts you have about your writing – don’t think about it, just write. The important thing is getting it out of your system. When the troll runs out of steam, continue writing your project as usual.
Understand the need for passion and routine
Passion is the driving force behind any writer, but true success requires discipline. While passion can offer directions and give you a boost when you need it, sometimes it fizzles out. When that happens, writers have to rely on a steady routine that they established when then their passion levels (and motivation) were at their highest.
Some people recommend writing every single day, even if it’s just a short line in a journal. If you like the sound of that, go for it, but you don’t have to. Instead, prioritize regularity. Whether it is every other day or once a week, intentionally create a writing routine and stick to it. If you show up consistently for your work – even when you may not feel like it – your writing flow will start to activate when your routine says it is time.
You may find it helpful to think about your WIP every day, even if you don’t write every day. Keeping your project on your mind allows your imagination to work in the background, sparking new ideas you can jot down to work on later. This also saves you time at the beginning of your writing sessions, since you’ve already thought out what you want to do, and allows you to get right to work.
Find the environment and tools that work for you
Creating the right environment for creativity and using the right tools can also boost your motivation and productivity. Making a playlist for your project that you listen to during each writing session is another way of signaling to your brain that it’s time to write. Pinning up inspirational quotes or reminders about why you’re doing this around your writing space can energize you. Even changing the font on your word processor to something you enjoy looking at can be helpful.
Make sure you always have access to tools that help you succeed. If using a pen for too long hurts your hand, it makes sense why writing your ideas down on physical paper would demotivate you. Tools you should have on hand include something to write with, something to organize your notes, a word count tracker, and snacks and drinks that you enjoy.
If you work well under pressure, you could try out writing programs that force you to write quickly, such as Write or Die or The Most Dangerous Writing App. In apps like these, if you pause while writing or slow down too much, you risk losing your work.
If you’re feeling unmotivated due to your writing space, switch things up. Move environments until you find the one that helps you focus the most. For some, this is a closeted office space in their home. For others, this is a busy cafe or park. You can even change environments regularly to keep things exciting.
Find community
Connecting with other writers can provide encouragement, accountability, and a sense of belonging. Join writing groups, workshops, or online platforms to engage in discussions, share struggles and successes, and offer support. There, you can participate in writing sprints or word races. Knowing others are writing alongside you can be incredibly helpful.
Don’t forget self-care
Personal care is just as important as every other step here. Maintain a healthy balance between writing and self-care, including practices that recharge your creativity, such as exercise, meditation, spending time outdoors, and hanging out with others.By caring for yourself, you’ll avoid burnout and sustain your motivation over the long term.
By understanding your motivations, setting clear goals, and maintaining a balance between writing and personal care, you can stay motivated throughout your writing journey. Remember, writing is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep pushing forward, celebrate your progress, and never lose sight of why you started writing in the first place.