How do you keep motivated as a writer?
I am struggling.
I truly believe writing is one of the most and least rewarding things a human being can do, and it’s such a desperate tug of war to push yourself to actively keep it up and produce something more than a loose train of thought that spirals rapidly down to nonsense.
If you, like me, have felt despair while trying to pursue your ongoing goal to write something, but are unable to stay motivated, find time, or fall foul of some other excuse, maybe we can help each other.
Listen, I’m not suggesting it will be easy. Far from it, but I’ll share some of my thoughts and I would desperately love to hear yours. What worked for you? Have you been able to stick to a long-term project and finished it? Are you on the first draft, fifth, or five-hundredth? Whatever it is, I want to hear what is working for you.
And, if you are interested, I’ll share some of the things that help me to overcome that self-doubt, procrastination and inability to focus.
Start Simple
Sometimes, we are our own biggest obstacle.
The easiest way to start writing or get back into it is literally to just start. Instead of staring at a blank page, take control of the space by adding some words.
The fact is, a page with something on it is far simpler to work with than a blank page. Even if you need to go back and cross them out later, or revise the sentence they morphed into, that means that you’ve got something to work with and the creative juices are finally flowing.
Ask Questions
Before you click away and think “I’m struggling to think of anything, now you want me to think up questions about it?!” Don’t worry! I already picked out the perfect questions to get you going.
What?
Why?
How?
Where?
When?
And Who?
You don’t necessarily need to use all of these questions, but pick one or a few of them and just take some time to think about it.
If you picked one and it doesn’t feel like it’s sparking any ideas for you, pick another. The great thing about these universal questions is that they can fit into any scenario.
Maybe you have a great idea for a protagonist, they are cheeky, charming and capable of something entirely unique. If you’re still struggling to build the world and adventure around the individual, use some of the questions.
What is their story? What is calling them to adventure? What’s holding them back?
Why are they unique? Why are they the protagonist? Why do you find them interesting?
How did they discover their power/ability? How do they interact with the world around them, are they shy and trying to desperately hide or bold and intent on becoming the next big thing?
Where are they located? Where does the story take them? Where do they hope to end up?
When did they become unique? When do you reveal their power/ability? When does the reader start to connect with them?
Who are they? Who are their enemies? Who are their friends?
Just by digging deeper into these simple questions, many more questions and answers start to uncover themselves. If you have a setting, a theme, a character, or any semblance of an idea, use these questions to start weaving a much larger, and more detailed narrative.
Simply Start
Armed with some questions and the effort it takes to put some words on a page, the potential is unlimited.
Too often, we get in our own way and make things too complicated. Being creative, writing and storytelling are not reliant on rigid structures, rules, routines and complicated practices. It all starts with the simple tap of a key, stroke of a pen, or even just a word spoken aloud.
That being said, I’m pretty keen to hear how you stay motivated and begin to write. It’s always worth having more tools available to you as long as you remember the simple ones as well.
