Tell me if this sounds familiar:
You look down at your to-do list and see the next item on it—revise next two chapters of draft. It’s a manageable goal—a downright small goal, frankly—and you know it, but you feel… stuck. You can’t quite force yourself to sit down at your computer and get it done, especially not when watching the next episode of your favorite show is so much easier and so much more fun. Sure, drafting was exciting, but revisions just suck. Before you know it, three hours have gone by and you haven’t accomplished anything. Then five hours. Then seven. Then—oh look, it’s dinnertime. Oh, well, surely tomorrow will be a more productive day.
No? Just me? Well, I’m going to talk about it anyway.
Motivation is a slippery thing, showing up at the most inconvenient times—for me, it’s around 1am—and flitting away as suddenly as it arrives. Almost any kind of work can be done without feeling motivated; in fact, work should be done without motivation, given the latter’s elusive and inconsistent nature. However, I’ve come to realize that I tend to do my best work when I’m feeling inspired and motivated to write, and there are a few specific things I do to keep my head in the game and make sure I’m giving my current project my all. Hopefully, you will be able to apply these steps the next time you find yourself “left in a Lurch,” as Dr. Seuss would say.
1. Analyze the Problem
Why do you feel like you can’t write (or revise, or edit, or do whatever it is that must be done)? Personally, the reason behind my lack of motivation tends to vary, meaning that I can fix the problem if I first figure out what it is.
If I’m too tired to focus, I take a 20 minute nap to re-energize. If I’m hungry, I grab a snack and drink some water. If I’m having a migraine with aura and literally cannot see the words I’m typing, I take my migraine meds and take a nap (naps are basically the solution to about 60% of my problems).
The bottom line: take care of yourself! It’s hard to be productive—and produce quality material—when your stomach won’t stop growling and you’re about to keel over from exhaustion.
2. Remove Distractions
Sometimes, my lack of a desire to write comes from a greater desire to do something else, like scroll through Pinterest. To get myself back on track, I make sure to close my door on any distracting background noise, turn on the Do Not Disturb mode on my phone, and then move across the room to work on my draft.
Physically separating myself from distractions mentally separates me from them as well, clearing my mind and helping me focus on the task at hand. The first step to working on something is always making sure you’re not working on something else—focus is key.
3. Set a Timer
Sometimes, you just need to buckle down and do it. Tell yourself you’ll work for a set amount of time—say, 45 minutes—then shut off your phone, set a timer, and get down to business. (I find that sitting down with a soft blanket and a mug of my favorite tea makes this a little easier.)
A timer ensures that you have a finite period of time in which to finish the assigned task, forcing you to set aside your reservations and get down to work. More often than not, I find myself shutting off the timer and continuing to write once I get into the groove (the “flow” state), but that doesn’t happen if I don’t make myself sit down and start. If worst comes to worst, at least I know I’ll be allowed a break in 45 minutes—but I can’t forget to set a timer for that, too!
4. Pump Yourself Up
Pinterest and Spotify are my best friends when it comes to inspiring myself to get back to my project. With the addition of “secret” boards to Pinterest, I can add whatever kind of quotes and visuals I want to my novel-inspired board without my friends and family asking if I’m okay. (“The PTSD posts and articles are for research, Mom!”)
On Spotify, I’ve put together a playlist dedicated solely to getting me in the mood to work on my novel revisions by compiling a list of songs that make me think of my main characters and the crises they face. I often listen to this playlist or scroll through this Pinterest board while doing something else, like eating lunch. Then, when I’m finished with my meal, I shut off the music or log out of social media and get to work, newly invigorated and ready for action.
5. Create a Ritual
Some writers just sit down and start hammering out words, and some writers (like me) need to train their brains to get into the writing mindset. They make tea or coffee, sit in their own Writing Spot™, play a certain song/music genre to focus themselves… You get the gist.
While I was plotting my novel, this involved sitting in the same spot in my living room while listening to Celtic instrumental music on Pandora, with the occasional hot cocoa off to the side. (To this day, when I hear Celtic music, my brain goes into “writing mode,” regardless of where I am or what I’m doing.) Now that I’m older and lazier, I settle for keeping a water bottle on hand, rereading the list of revisions I want to tackle for the day, and getting to work.
*sips water and continues blogging*
6. Train Yourself with Rewards
Giving yourself a reward is similar to creating a ritual in that it trains your mind to associate writing with something else, something positive. Using rewards isn’t something I practice personally, mostly because I have almost zero self-control, but I know many people who have utilized this method with great success.
The premise is simple: treat yourself like a puppy. Sit down in the writing chair. Siiiiiit… Good, here, have some of your favorite tea. Okay, now boot up the computer... Rewarding yourself for good behavior relies on operant conditioning (like rats pushing a lever to receive food), in which you associate a voluntary action—working on your draft—with positive reinforcement. This can be pretty much anything you want, such as allowing yourself to eat a delicious cookie after completing a chapter or watching an episode of your favorite show after finishing all your work for the day.
(Some writers like to use operant conditioning in a different way: instead of using positive reinforcements, they use negative reinforcements. The idea behind a negative reinforcement is that you take away something bad—improving one’s living conditions—when an action is completed, like buckling your seatbelt to make your car stop beeping at you. I’ve heard of some writers who, fed up with their inability to focus, force themselves to play Justin Bieber’s “Baby” or Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” on repeat until the work is done. Personally, I think that’s even more distracting, but I suppose you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do to get the job done.)
7. Make It a Habit
Have a planner. Have a goal. Write “work on [goal]” in your planner at a specific time each day. Sit down and do it at that time. Rinse and repeat until not doing it feels strange. You get the idea.
I get anxious if I go too long without writing. I fidget and become irritable, and at that point, I know I have to sit down and work on my novel, lest I become even crazier than I already am.
8. Have a Heart-to-Heart… with Yourself
Why are you writing this book? No, seriously—why? Stop and have a conversation with yourself for a second. Ask yourself these three questions:
- *Why* am I writing this book? Translation: Why do I like to write? What joy do I derive from it? Am I writing because, deep down in my gut, I know I need to? Or am I writing because it’s a cool thing to talk about at parties? (Side note: if writing is a cool party topic in your life, I need to start hanging out wherever you are.)
- Why am *I* writing this book? Translation: Am I the best person to tell this particular story? Do I feel demotivated because I don’t fully understand the (possibly controversial) topics I cover in the novel? Do I need to do more research so I will feel more confident when I tackle this project?
- Why am I writing *this* book? Translation: Why does this book matter? To me, to anyone? Is this something for which I would like to be remembered? Do these characters feel real to me, so much so that I simply must tell their story, bring them to life for others?
In essence, what’s your stake in this book? Is your heart really in it? (Hint: It’s all right if the answer is “no.”)
It’s possible that your story has gotten away from you, and you realize the piece you end up writing doesn’t really reflect the story you wanted to tell. This could lead to you being dissatisfied with the work, and not feeling motivated to finish it. Maybe you don’t feel up to the task, or you weren’t really emotionally invested in it to begin with. That’s okay! If you want to keep writing (which, of course, I will always say you should try to do), maybe it’s time to look at the story from a new angle, to rewrite and shake things up.
If you don’t want to keep writing… Well, I’m not your English teacher, I’m not going to force you to. Whatever you decide, know that it’s perfectly okay to hit the “pause” button every once in a while—as long as you save and back up your files, the story will be waiting for you if/when you come back.
How do you keep yourself motivated to write? Do you—or does someone you know—have any unique writing rituals to get ready for a productive writing session? Feel free to share in the comments below—I’d love to hear from you. And, as always, happy writing!
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