The Motivation That All Writers Need

Hello Writers!

by: Writerslife   | Writing

As writer’s, it can sometimes be hard to stay motivated. We all have those days, where we feel like giving up, where we just want to curl up on our sofas and watch Netflix instead of concentrating on developing our plot line or making our characters more three-dimensional, or whatever particular problem or part of our book we promised ourselves we would tackle next.

There are many hurdles that writers must face. Procrastination, the inner self-critique, rejection, bad reviews, writer’s block and so on – yes, staying motivated can, at times, be a particularly tricky task.

So what can we do to remain on track, to stay positive about our writing and keep moving forward even in the toughest circumstances? Here are some great pieces of advice that will do just that!

Have a positive mantra

It’s amazing how repeating a positive mantra and keeping those negative thoughts at bay can work wonders when it comes to keeping motivated and having a great outlook. When you are feeling down or full of doubt, spend some time looking in a mirror and telling yourself you can do it, you are a writer, you are talented, you will get there. Repeat as often as you can to really embed this in your mind.

Have a favorite piece of work

Every writer has a piece of writing they are particularly proud of, or you might even have several. Look at this regularly and remember that you are an awesome writer when you want to be, just because you are going through a difficult patch you have the tools and the creativity to be great, and you can get there again.

Write down those compliments

Anytime anyone ever writes you a good review, tells you they think your great, or even gives you a ‘positive’ rejection make sure you keep note of it. In fact, create a compliments book and keep this to hand. When you are feeling demotivated, read all the nice things people have said about you and your writing to keep you going.

Read all the time

Reading is the ideal pastime for writers. Reading not only bring great pleasure, it also helps to inspire us, gives us ideas, and helps us to experiment with our own writing. Whatever you do, keep on reading and you’ll find that your writing slump well never last too long.

Look to the greats

There is nothing quite like basking in the failures of others to make you feel better! Next time you get rejected or someone tells you they don’t like your work remind yourself of all the famous writers who were told they weren’t good enough. There are loads of examples of bestsellers being rejected, and of notable writers being told they should give up. They didn’t listen to their critics, and neither should you.

Remember why you love it

There must be a reason why you write, what is it? Whatever it is that inspired you to start writing in the first place – keep that in mind and never give up on your dreams!

What do you do to keep motivated? Let us know!