Struggling with procrastination? Here’s some writing motivation!

Today’s post is an excerpt from Ready, Set, Write: A Guide to Creative Writing. This is from a chapter titled “Motivation,” which provides techniques for cultivating writing motivation.

Writing Motivation

The more inspired you feel, the more motivated you will be to write. But there’s a subtle difference between feeling inspired and being motivated. Inspiration is about ideas; motivation is about doing the work. You could lounge around for hours, daydreaming poems and stories—without ever putting a single word on paper.

I remember the first time I wrote a poem of my own volition. The experience was magical. I wanted to do it again and again. So that’s exactly what I did. Then one day I didn’t feel like writing. I wasn’t in the mood. So I occupied myself with other activities. One day turned into a week, which stretched into a month. Eventually, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d written anything.

I was under no obligation to write. I hadn’t made a commitment to write—to myself or anyone else. It was something I did because I enjoyed it. So why should I do it if I didn’t feel like doing it?

But the fact that I hadn’t written in a long time irritated me. I found myself in a strange state of contradiction: Even though I wasn’t in the mood to write, I wanted to get some writing done. I kept waiting, day after day, for the mood to strike. But it didn’t—not until I sat down and forced myself to do the work.

Within minutes, my mood for writing was reignited. Apparently, I just needed to settle in to it and get warmed up. I hadn’t lost interest in writing after all. I just needed some motivation.

Motivation is a close cousin to inspiration, and many of the same things that block inspiration also cause us to feel unmotivated: We’re tired, lazy, not feeling well, hungry, moody, distracted, or stressed. But I’ve found that motivation is even harder to summon than inspiration. I can be full of inspiration but still lack the motivation to sit down and do my writing.

So how do you get motivated and stay motivated?

For starters, many of the things that bring about inspiration will also motivate you to write, especially reading and engaging with art. But getting motivated often requires pushing yourself harder.

Set Goals and Make Commitments

If you’re the slightest bit goal oriented, then setting goals will be a major motivator for you. The sheer act of deciding what you want to accomplish with your writing—even if it’s only finishing a poem or drafting a short story—and then mentally making a commitment will boost your motivation.

Small, measurable goals are especially helpful if you need to get motivated. Try making a list of tasks that you can complete in a few minutes each day.

If committing to your goals is not enough to motivate you, then committing to others might work better for you. You can find a writing partner or join a writer’s group, and get the added benefit of receiving feedback on your writing. Or ask a friend or family member to hold you accountable. Speaking of accountability, a lot of people find that making a public commitment, often via a blog or social media, is highly motivating.

Prioritize

We often push our hobbies to the bottom of our priority list. We go through life hoping we’ll have time at the end of each day to do a little writing. But by the time the dinner dishes are washed and put away, we’re worn out. It’s a lot easier to veg out on the couch than to sit at a desk, writing, especially if we work at a desk all day.

Our priorities tend to motivate us. Consider the importance that some people place on their favorite TV shows. They will not miss an episode. When an entire season drops, they block off a whole weekend on their calendar for the big binge. That’s prioritizing! And it’s very motivating.

If you make writing a priority and give it both prominence and importance in your daily routine, you’ll find yourself more motivated to get your writing done.

Track and Reward

Lots of writers keep track of their productivity in order to keep themselves motivated or focused, especially when trying to develop good writing habits or reach specific goals, like finishing a book.

Tracking works wonderfully with goal setting. You could set a goal of writing at least 250 words per day, five days per week. Use a spreadsheet to track your progress, and reward yourself when you meet your weekly goal.

Interact with Other Writers

Creative people often feed off each other. Whether we’re discussing our writing schedule, sharing details about our projects, or just talking about the craft, it’s a lot easier to stay motivated when you’re connected with others who share your interests and passions.

You can find writers in your community by taking a class or workshop, joining a writer’s group, or looking for some kind of meetup where writers gather. Consider attending open mics for writers or even book-signing events. Conventions are another way to meet writers, and you can attend panels and lectures on the craft.

You’ll find most of these opportunities replicated on the internet but with an even bigger pool of writers to connect with: online classes and workshops, online writers’ groups, and even random writers on social media who are open to connecting with others.

Timing and Routines

Some writers find that they are most motivated in the morning. Others like to write at night.

Planning some time for writing and making it part of your daily or weekly schedule can have an enormous impact on how much writing you get done. It also cultivates a habit. Whether you do it first thing in the morning, at lunchtime, or in the evening hours, building writing into your regular routine might be the motivator you need.

Your Motivation

I’ve gotten the best results with a combination of these efforts. I tend to be most motivated when I’ve set a clear goal for myself. I then track that goal by breaking it into smaller steps and then monitoring my daily word count and checking off the milestones I’ve reached in my project. I add writing sessions to my daily schedule, giving them priority on my to-do list. I’ve also found that regularly reading books on the craft of writing keeps me motivated, so when I’m not feeling the urge to write, I often crack open one of these books and read a few pages to get myself fired up.

Some other combination of these actions might work better for you.

The best way to stay motivated is to figure out what compels you to get your writing done. Find the things that make you want to write and make them a regular part of your life. And when you combine your motivators with whatever inspires you, your entire experience of writing will be improved.

Questions

What motivates you to write? Do you write only when you’re in the mood, or are you able to gin up motivation when you’re not feeling it? Have you ever written even though you weren’t feeling motivated? What happened?

Do you want more creative-writing insight like this? Pick up your copy of Ready, Set, Write: A Guide to Creative Writing today.