1. Know the Why
This is an important one. Know the why. Why do you want to write? Why do you spend every living moment at your computer for little or no return?
There has to be a reason why you want to be a writer. You don’t just write for the sake of typing or pursuing a new career. Something is driving you.
Dive into your thoughts for a moment. Be your own therapist and ask yourself, what are you doing this all for?
When I ask myself this question, my answer is clear. I want to matter. I want to make a difference in this world, even once I’m dead and gone.
My writing is about helping people. I have always been about helping people in some way or another. In my non-fiction, and in my fiction.
With my non-fiction books, I try to teach people to take care of themselves and feel better. I use myself as a human Guinee pig and gather research. I then try to help as many people as I can with it, so they won’t have to suffer like I did.
That’s my mantra.
And with fiction, my characters are an extension of myself. They are incredibly flawed people that do stupid things, kind of like myself.
But I bring them through undesirable circumstances in my stories so they can learn. They learn life’s lessons like I did, and they change. At least some do. Others I have to kill off because they couldn’t seem to get it together.
I feel like I’m doing God’s work then. Sometimes it’s rather challenging, but I feel privileged to have such an amazing opportunity to change people’s lives.
That’s why I do it.
Why do you do it?
Figuring out the why is the first step to get motivated to write. Once you figure out what you’re doing this all for, you will become passionate about your writing.
You will find your motivation, and you will never look back. After that, you’ll find that you have so much pent-up passion inside of you, that you will find it hard to stop writing.
Once this happens, you have found your why.
2. Improve Your Environment
Turn down the lights. Block out the noise. Do whatever it is you have to do to maintain and protect your writing environment.
If you have an uncomfortable situation going on in the home, like fighting children, spouse, or some other stressful situation, you’re not going to be able to write properly.
I like my office warm when I write. My husband likes the house cold all the time and I simply can’t write that way. So, in an otherwise cold environment, I create my own warm cubbyhole to write.
Having music in the background helps some people create a cozy environment to write, but I like ambient noise. I love listening to thunderstorms when I write. Perhaps that’s because I love writing mysteries and thrillers.
Mood Is everything.
The environment also means you must be comfortable ergonomically. If your back is aching or your neck is killing you, you’re not going to be able to write properly.
Pain causes stress and can prevent you from being motivated to write.
Distractions are also part of your environment. Post a do not disturb sign on the door if your family keeps coming in and interrupting you. Teach them to respect your craft so they understand your passion.
If you don’t do that, they will never know how much it means to you. That will cause frustration and lead to a lack of motivation.
Finally, I want to address stupidity. Now, I don’t mean any disrespect by this, and I include myself in this, but stay away from social media while you write.
Checking Facebook every five minutes will only distract you and waste time. Keep your environment free from these kinds of distractions and you will be motivated, and stay motivated, for as long as you need to finish that epic novel you’ve always wanted to write.
3. Block Time
If you don’t set aside time to write, it’s not going to happen. It’s just as simple as that. Like anything else, if we don’t plan to do it at a certain time, it doesn’t get done.
Sometimes that means we have to sacrifice something else to get it done. I wrote most of my novels while working full time at a day job. It wasn’t easy to find the time, but I did it successfully.
It wasn’t without sacrifice though. On my days off, I had to neglect my housework, and take advantage of the blocks of time I had available.
That’s not easy when your spouse comes home wondering what you did all day because the laundry and dishes are still not done. It’s hard to get a spouse on board with your personal dreams.
But communication is the best policy.
Tell him or her how important it is to you, and why the housework isn’t done. Tell your spouse you have to neglect some things just to make room to write.
If you don’t have to work at a day job, and you can focus on writing, good for you. You are one of the lucky ones. Not many writers have that opportunity.
I wish I could say that you won’t struggle with motivation if you are at home all day, but I would be telling you a lie. I wrote my first book when I was a stay-at-home mom, writing like a crazy woman when the kids were at school.
But I still had to neglect my housework just to write. I had to prioritize or I would have never finished it.
If you are retired, or single, and you have the means to be a full-time writer at home, you will be able to prioritize differently, without a distraction from a spouse, children, or looming housework. But even then, you need to prioritize.
People will bombard you with daily tasks, interrupting your train of thought. They will think you’re the errand boy, and use you to help them get groceries, pay bills, taxi them here and there, or babysit their children. After all, you aren’t doing anything all day anyway, right?
Wrong! You are faced with the task of making them understand that writing is a real job. And as such, they need to respect your time.
So, either way you look at it, we ALL have to block out time to write. Keep it sacred, and don’t bend. Time is a writers best currency because once your book is done, it will be worth its weight in gold, and live on to be your legacy long after you’re gone.
There is no monetary value we can place on that.
4. When are You Productive?
For me, I’m most productive in the early morning. I find that if I wait until after I get home from work to write, I can’t activate my creativity. I barely have the strength to drag my tired butt to the couch and watch tv. That just causes writer’s block.
I wrote most of my novels by getting up 2 hours before my shift to write. Little by little I completed my projects. I was so proud of myself for having the self-discipline to make my dreams come true, one baby step at a time.
For those who have to write this way if life requires you to work full-time at a day job, my heart goes out to you. It isn’t easy to find the time to write, but it is doable.
The most important thing is to choose to write when you are most productive. Don’t try to carve out a couple chapters when you’ve been dealing with 100 angry customers all day. Don’t push yourself when there is nothing left but mush.
You won’t write very well if you do, especially if you are in the creating stage. Stress blocks creativity, and when you come home after a long day stressed and tired, your creativity is non-existent. At least it’s that way for me.
That’s not to say you can’t do other kinds of writing. I find, after a long stressful day, writing soothes me. That is, if I can avoid laying on the couch. If I do that, I’ll never get up again.
If I work on proofreading or formatting, even though I’m tired and stressed, I feel better. If I can manage to do one small writing task at the end of my day, I can at least touch my dream. Even if it’s just a little bit.
It helps me stay motivated to write even if that writing is just doing a little bit of editing for an hour. When you get a little taste of your dream, you won’t feel frustrated that you never seem to have enough energy or time to be a real writer.
5. Take a Break
The best writers are not marathon runners. By that, I mean, we don’t write an entire novel all in one sitting. We can’t physically do that.
Breaks are necessary.
Stretch your legs. Get up and twist. Move your neck.
If you don’t take a break, your body will make you pay for it later. Trust me, mine did. I have suffered from back aches, neck problems, carpal tunnel, and shoulder problems simply because I didn’t listen to my body when it wanted to take a break.
Don’t do that.
Set up reminders on your phone to move. Staying in one position for too long isn’t good for you. We need our blood to flow, not only for our body, but for our brain as well. Creativity relies on blood flow to the brain. Did you know that?
Get up. Go for a walk around the block. Go for lunch with a friend for an hour. Then, when you come back, you will feel rejuvenated to write once again, and you will be more motivated than ever.
6. Set the Mood
I always have to set the mood when I write. If I don’t, I can’t think properly. I listen to thunderstorms when I write.
I know, that makes me weird, but it helps set the mood. It doesn’t even matter what kind of writing I am doing. I love writing mysteries and thrillers, and listening to thunderstorms is a must for that kind of writing, but I also need it for non-fiction.
I don’t know why I need thunderstorms to be creative, but I do. I must have been reading a story during a thunderstorm as a child and learned to love it.
Whatever you need to do to set the mood for writing, do it. Don’t be embarrassed with whatever helps you be creative. We’re all weird that way. Some need to listen to a certain kind of music. Some need to have a sunny room to write in.
Some, like me, love gloom and doom, and can write all day long on a stormy dismal day, especially in front of a large picture window with drizzle running down the pane.
How can you tell I’m a writer?
7. Drink
I don’t mean booze, though it helps many to be creative. I’m talking about grabbing a cup of coffee, or tea, and sipping it as you type. That is heaven to me.
I brew my favorite cup of gingerbread tea and spend blissful hours creating my masterpieces. I love how writing and drinking go hand in hand.
Take that any way you want to, but remember this. In order to be motivated to write, you must have your favorite things around you. You must be comfortable and feel alive. Sometimes more alive than you’ve ever felt before.
If that means drinking tea, then drink tea. If it means drinking coffee, then drink coffee. If it’s something stronger, then don’t be ashamed.
Just be happy when you write, and you will be motivated forever!
8. Use the Best Tools
This is an important one. If you don’t have a decent laptop to write on, then you won’t be motivated to write for long. If your keyboard is uncomfortable, then get a new one.
If you can’t see the screen, then buy a larger one.
A writer’s tools are important. You wouldn’t build furniture with an old rickety saw that couldn’t even cut through cardboard, would you?
I bought myself a Mac desktop simply because the screen is so large. It’s a dream to write on, and I need it because my vision isn’t what it used to be.
My only mistake was getting rid of my laptop and replacing it with an iPad. I thought I could write with it while watching tv, but it’s become a problem. I need to get a better keyboard so I feel comfortable writing with it. I have one, but apparently, I’m not satisfied with it.
I’m sure I’ll solve the problem and I’ll be on my way to writing on the iPad, but it’s a hard adjustment. Just make sure that you buy the right tools when you write, so you will stay motivated and comfortable to write.
Buying the right software is very important as well. I had always used Dragon dictation software, but when I bought a Mac, it wouldn’t work with it. Using Apple dictation isn’t the same, and certainly not as accurate. I will have to invest in dragon software for the mac very soon because its driving me crazy going without it.
Also, I’ve always used Microsoft Word. I don’t like using other writing software, probably because I started my writing career on Microsoft Word.
I tried learning other writing software, but found myself stumbling and making mistakes. Not only that, but it takes an incredible amount of time to learn new software.
If you have a favorite writing software, just stick with it. And if your new computer doesn’t come with it, just go buy it. You’ll be thankful you did because your productivity will go up, as well as your motivation to write.
9. Get Excited
If you aren’t excited about what you write, you’re doing it wrong. Either you’re too focused on making money, or you’re bored to death with your topic.
Make sure you write what you love. Choose something you’re passionate about whether you write fiction or non-fiction.
Get excited because that’s what motivates a writer to keep going. I love to write by the seat of my pants when I create my work. Because I do it that way, I feel like I’m sitting on the edge of my seat and experiencing the story for the first time like my readers are.
I love that feeling. That excites me. I love crying when my character suddenly dies. I’m the one who killed her off, but it took me by surprise just as it did my readers.
I love that!
Do that and you will remain excited throughout the entire writing process. And when that happens, you will be motivated to write every single day.
10. Speed Write
When you learn to write fast, you see results quicker. That, in turn, helps you to stay motivated. I can’t tell you enough, how discouraging it is to barely see any progress.
So, write fast. Speed write if you have to. Do it in bulk and you will see results quickly.
My best writing is in bulk. By that I mean, setting up several related articles for my website in one word document, so I can write it all at once.
What I do, at least when I write blogs, is I research the topic, and then write multiple articles in one sitting. I re-use the same information and spin each article differently.
I figure out my titles, then my subtitles, then I speed write. I tell my husband not to bother me for the entire weekend because I’m doing a writing marathon. Usually, he listens.
That really helps me be productive, and I know it will help you. Once you adopt this way of writing, you will be more motivated to write because you see results quickly.
11. Celebrate the Baby Steps
Always celebrate the milestones. I remember taking my 70-year-old mother out to celebrate her first published novel. It’s one of my fondest memories of her now that she has passed.
If you don’t take the time to celebrate your achievements, big or small, you will lose heart. If you lose heart, you will start to question why you’re even doing this.
If you don’t get excited about it, other’s won’t either, and that may make or break a writer. Even seasoned writers need to celebrate baby steps.
If you’re starting a new series and you just finished the rough draft of your first book, shout it from the rooftops. Plan a night out with your spouse and tell everyone you know that you accomplished something big.
How else will they know it’s a big deal unless you tell them.
Reality is, most of what you do as a writer is hidden from other people, especially the ones you love. It’s a solo art, and unless you reveal what is going on, nobody will know.
Tell the world when you finish something big. Plan a celebration, even if that means popcorn, pajamas, and binge-watching Netflix.
When you do that, you’ll love what you do, and you won’t have to motivate yourself to do it. It will just come naturally.
Conclusion
We all struggle with motivation when it comes to writing, but when it starts becoming an everyday thing, you might need to make an action plan to fix the problem. If you follow these 11 best strategies, you won’t have to struggle with motivation anymore.
Be the best writer you can be. Love what you do. Be passionate about it, and tell the world about what you do especially if you’re just starting out as a beginner writer.
When you speak it out loud, it will become real.
Once it becomes real, and your friends and family know how important it is to you, they will cheer you on. Now that’s motivating!
Happy writing everyone!
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Author Kathleen Morris
Kathleen Morris is a successful published author, blogger, and YouTuber. She enjoys writing about things she’s passionate about and making a difference in the world