The write motivation - how to get motivated to write
Here's something I just posted to my site, but it may be useful to anyone on here who struggles to put fingertips to keys. It's a common condition. It also uses an idea that I read on someone else's WA blog - I can't remember who wrote it, but thank you very much for the inspiration!
How to get in the writing mood – the write motivation
How to motivate myself to write?
There are times when we all experience a motivation deficit. It’s horribly debilitating and often leads you down the road of self-doubt. But fear not. Here are nine good ways of re-motivating yourself, of putting yourself back into the writing groove and helping you to enjoy your craft.
What do I want to write about? Visualize it.
This is a simple technique that can help you get into the mood of writing. The absence of motivation is often down to not knowing exactly what you want to write about. You may have a general idea or you may know the theme, but when it comes down to putting your fingertips onto the keyboard you find you’re not really sure what you want to say.
Say your task is to describe a morning scene in the countryside. Imagine what it looks like and how it feels to be there. What colors can you see? What can you hear and smell? Is it cold? Is it wet? See it in your mind’s eye. Watch it unfold and describe what you see.
Or if you’re writing a self-help article, what is the problem you’re setting out to solve? Whom does it affect, when and why? Imagine the problem. How does it feel? Now think about what you’re going to recommend to address and solve the problem. If you haven’t done so already, jot down a list of your suggested actions. In a stroke, you’ve lightened your task by breaking the whole thing into short sub-headings that seem a lot more manageable than the much longer, final thing .
Your mind’s eye is a powerful tool for you as a writer. Open it, use it – and, yes, enjoy it.
Use other people’s laziness to your advantage
Face it, writing can be a right old chore. For every 10 people who sit down and prepare to write a 1,000 word article, how many finish it and send it for publication? Your guess is as good as mine, but it’s surely not 10. Perhaps not even half that number.
But there’s still a huge demand out there for well-written, intelligently crafted words. Will you meet that demand? You know how to write, you’ve done it before – perhaps hundreds of times. One thousand words is 10 blocks of 100 words and any donkey can put together 100 words in less time than it takes to drink a cup of coffee. Or eat a bunch of carrots. But unlike donkeys you can – and should – edit what you’re written afterwards, so don’t be too concerned if you feel that you’re writing nonsense. Clean it up later, but for now just write.
Other people’s laziness is your opportunity. Your key to success writing. Use it.
Make a deadline for yourself
Most people work much more efficiently when they work to deadlines. Give yourself a deadline – say, complete 1,000 words by XX o’clock. Treat the deadline seriously and stick to it. If you find time ticking away relentlessly, put your foot on the gas. Tell yourself that you must meet the deadline.
Set yourself a target for the day – reward yourself when you’ve achieved it
Arguably the best kind of target for writers is measured in words written. Make a target that’s realistic and achievable. If you’re write slowly, 500 words a day might do the trick. If you’ve got the wind in your sails, go for 2,000 words or more. You know your own limitations and abilities, so set your word target according to them.
When you’ve met your target, reward yourself. The reward doesn’t have to be big or expensive – a little bar of chocolate or similar will do. Anything that will make you look forward to it. Do not have the reward if you don’t meet the target. Sorry.
You now have a target and an incentive to reach it. Incentives are a powerful motivation.
Write first – then edit
The belief that you’re writing garbage is a temporary phenomenon that can affect even best-selling writers. It happens and it’s normal and it’s the reason that editors exist. So even if this blight affects you now, remember that everything you write will be subject to your own or someone else’s editorial scalpel in future. That’s a good enough reason to write, now. Your first shot doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to be there so that it can be perfected.
Writing in the present
The present means the process of writing. Fingers on keys. It‘s a good feeling when you’ve written one or two sentences that you’re happy with. Each sentence is one more brick in the house you’re building, be that a mighty novel, an article or something in between. Focus on the word and sentence you are writing now. Put aside thoughts of the overall goal, because that can cast a shadow of paralytic despondency (‘How the heck will I ever manage that?’) and the pleasure of writing will be lost. Enjoy finding each right word and crafting every phrase and sentence. Do that and you’ll reach your overall goal soon enough.
Take a physical break
If it’s just not happening for you, there’s little point in sitting there staring at the screen. Go for a walk, a jog or a bike ride, whatever you enjoy. The exercise will refresh you, physically and emotionally. And you never know, you may be inspired along the way. Take a notepad and pen to jot down any thoughts that come to you, or a phone to dictate them.
What is the definition of motivation?
Motivation refers to a stimulus that creates an urge to do something. It requires an incentive, a reason, which is the stimulus. Ask yourself about what motivates you to write? What’s your incentive? Why do you write and why are you writing now? It might be the reward you allow yourself for having reached your day’s target (see above), or the fact of having your writing published, or it might be the payment you’ll receive for your work. Whatever your primary incentive, focus on it and let it carry you as you write.
Listen to music
Personally, I prefer to write in silence. There’s enough going on in my head without the need for external distractions. But there are times when a little background music is helpful as a way of creating a mood or a sense of conducive peace.
I usually avoid songs or anything with vocals unless I can’t understand the language they’re sung in. Songs – particularly those I know and am likely to sing along to – tend to derail the thought process. So what works for me is non-vocal classical music or jazz or ambient music and mood-creating sounds like birdsong or ocean waves or a flowing river (some people claim this increases the urge to pee). There are plenty of lengthy soundtracks on youtube of sounds from nature and meditation-type music.
But if you want to take a little break and be motivated by music, that’s completely fine if it works for you. Whatever music you like as long as it pumps you up! Here, with tin hat firmly donned, is a handful of personal choices that might get you in the mood and boost your motivation.
Irene Cara – Flashdance What A Feeling
Abba – The Winner Takes It All
Jennifer Rush – The Power Of Love
Recent Comments
13
Really good ideas and tactics. I also think in 100 word blocks but I like all your ideas. :) Thank you for posting.
Paula
We need to review this each day as this is 80% of our holdup to getting to our first million. Ha!
Thanks Tom!
That's a great article about writing.
I get the music part, and also find I need silence to write. I like those Solfeggio Frequency YouTube videos, however, and might give that a go tomorrow!
For me the difficult part is the editing part... I tend to do it a lot while I'm writing, and I also keep on getting drawn into the bigger message, rather than the sentence at hand.
It can make for some diversions and occasional states of confusion!
I'm going to give that a go... just write from start to end really fast, take a break, and then go back and edit.
Best wishes,
Jacquie
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I love ALL those songs but I couldn't write with them on. Maybe I could exercise but I like silence to write as well.
I've always heard to sit and write. It doesn't matter what you write, just keep the flow going then go back and obviously edit as some might simply be babble.
~Debbi
I prefer silence as well, Debbi!