It’s been a week. It’s been a month. It’s been a year and you still have not written that first chapter.
You have a ton of story ideas, but you fall off the bandwagon when it is time to actually turn those ideas into stories.
You want to make all your story ideas into reality as a published book, but for some reason you can never stick with it.
How can you maintain the motivation to write?
Well, thankfully, there are things that you do that determine how much motivation you do or do not have.
In this article I’m going to give you the three-step guide to unfailing motivation to write a book all the way to the end.
I’ve used this method for not only maintaining motivation in creative writing, but also for my art, athletic training, schooling, and work.
So without further ado, let's get into the 3 things that will ignite your motivation.
1. Know Your Reason
To have the motivation to write, you must have a reason to write.
Above anything else, your why, is going to be your main driving factor.
What is the reason that you want to write?
If you had to pause before you answered, then no wonder why you have no motivation!
A lot of people write because they feel like they have to. Or they did have a reason when they started writing, but it is no longer relevant to them or they forgot it.
The reason for why you write goes hand in hand with your motivation to write.
The clearer and stronger your reason is, the stronger your motivation is.
Without a strong reason, excuses will always get the best of you.
FIND YOUR WHY
If you are concerned that the current reason your writing isn’t strong enough, don’t worry!
Often our reasons are stronger than they may seem on the surface. By asking the question ‘why’ over and over again, you uncover the core reason to why you write.
All you need to do is to ask 5-7 questions about your current reason for writing.
I’m going to show you how this works, so grab a notebook and do it alongside an imaginary writer, ermm… Julie!
1st Question: Why do you want to write?
Julie: To get better at writing stories.
2nd Question: Why do you want to get better at writing stories?
Julie: So that I can sell more books.
3rd Question: Why do you want to sell more books?
Julie: So I can make a living as a author
4th Question: Why do you want to be an author?
Julie: Because I want to help and change people with my stories. I can do that better and more if writing was my full time job instead of a hobby.
5th Question: Why do you want to help and change people with your stories?
Julie: Because stories have helped me through hard times and made me a better person. I want to do the same for others
Once you’ve asked yourself all the questions, then you take the last answer and put it in front of the first question.
So for Julie, her reason for writing would be...
Because stories have helped me through hard times and made me a better person, and I want to do the same for others
Julie’s reason for writing consistently isn’t only to become better at writing. It’s to live her passion for writing and help people with her stories.
Your answer doesn’t have to be, (and probably won’t be) the same as Julie. But by asking why over and over, your last answer is going to be a lot truer and stronger than your first answer.
When your reason to write is clear, your motivation for writing is clear. You know for sure that you’re not just writing to write.
So maybe you write because you love collaborating with other writers. Maybe you write because you are determined to bring more beauty into the world. Maybe you're a writer because you love creating stories that impact lives.
Those are all good motivations.
So I’ll ask again,
Why do you write?
Once you know what your reason is, continue to remind yourself. Remind yourself of it every day; especially on the days you feel demotivated.
In fact, write out a mission statement for yourself, read it every day, and remind yourself why you are doing this.
VISUALIZE
Close your eyes and picture what it would look like to write thousands of words a day. What kind of person writes thousands of words a day? What would it look like after doing that for weeks, months, years?
Think of how much better you would be at writing. How much more comfortable you would feel, and how many more books you would have published.
Picture what your life would look like with as much detail as possible.
What are your characters like? How strong are your themes? What does the cover art look like? What do the pages smell like? What kind of people read it? What are your fans like? What shelf is it on at Barnes & Noble?
The image should be so inspiring that every time you think of it, you feel like writing right then and there.
Getting a crystal-clear image of what your life would look like if you wrote a lot, makes it feel real and tangible. Which is so much more motivating than some vague idea of what you're working towards.
Write your dream down so that you have something to look at everytime you feel unmotivated. Writing down in vivid detail the most exciting dream you’re working towards is even more powerful than simply imagining it in your head.
2. Set Goals
Exciting goals keep up motivation while ensuring that you make progress as a writer.
Having a clear path with the end in sight will keep you motivated. Otherwise, you will feel like you are wandering around in a dark forest with no clue of where you are going.
Goals and milestones will keep the end in sight and help you remember exactly why you must keep writing.
Create big, medium, and small goals.
So lets say your big goal is to completely finish a novel by the end of the year. An awesome goal, by the way, but also an overwhelming goal.
But just like any other big goal, writing a novel is a lot of small actions added up to a big result.
So break it down into milestones, like so:
Once you’ve written out all the steps, print out a twelve month calendar, and map out your goals.
Here’s an example of what that might look like:
JANUARY Brainstorm at least 10 story ideas and choose the most exciting one.
FEBRUARY Create world: History, Pinterest board of settings, create the cultures and people, etc
MARCH Create all the main characters: Appearance, strengths, weaknesses, past, goals, motivation, etc.
APRIL Plot the novel
MAY Finish outlining and work out plot holes and potential issues
JUNE Write the first quarter of the novel
JULY Write the second quarter of the novel
AUGUST Write the third quarter of the novel
SEPTEMBER Write the last quarter of the novel
OCTOBER Take a mini break from the story to clear head
NOVEMBER Edit
DECEMBER Have a least 3 people beta read the novel and apply advice
Now your calendar may or may not look like this. But he point is to have a clear map to give you guidance, and deadlines to keep you accountable.
You might want to squish all these steps into six months, three months, or even one month for an extra hard NaNoRaMo challenge. It’s all up to you, your story, and your schedule.
But the purpose of the plan is the same: To have a clear destination and easy steps towards it.
HAVE DAILY WRITING GOALS
So you have your big goals and your milestones. Now all that is left is creating a daily writing routine.
That will be your daily writing routine.
On each day on your calendar write exactly what tiny goal you want to achieve that day.
Each daily goal may be small on it’s own, but those tiny actions will build up over time to create some serious progress.
What is your biggest writing goal at the moment?
What are all the steps you need to take to achieve it?
What months/weeks are you going to work on each step?
What are you going to do every single day to get you a little closer to those goals?
Think of all these goals not as deadlines or restrictions, but as a shining light ahead of you to keep you motivated.
SET REMINDERS
Do you know why so many people fail to reach their goals?
It is because once they set the goals, they forget about them. They lose their vision, and they fall into the busyness of life and forget all about their original goal. It falls by the wayside and time passes without any progress.
Don't let this happen to you.
Keep your goal close. Remind yourself of it everyday. Make it IMPOSSIBLE to forget about your goal.
Here’s a few things you could do to remind yourself:
3. Make Writing a Part of You
When being a writer is part of who you are, part of your identity, then you no longer have to worry about having motivation.
No amount of lack of motivation will derail you, because writing stories is just who you are. You can’t not do it.
So how do you make writing not just something you enjoy, but part of your identity?
Take Action.
Over and Over and Over Again.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit
Aristotle
To make something a part of you, you must do it A TON, and do it consistently.
After doing something every single day for a long time, you no longer have to think about doing it, let alone search for motivation to get yourself to do it.
As an example, at the beginning of this year I really wanted to improve my art skills. It was something that I enjoyed, and I thought it would be cool to be able to sketch awesome drawings.
So I challenged myself to draw a sketch a day for a whole 365 days without skipping one day.
At first it was really fun. For about two hours a day, I would draw until I completed a sketch. But then, after a few weeks it started getting annoying and difficult to do each day. It seemed more like a chore then a fun hobby.
But I kept true to my promise. No matter what, I was going to draw a sketch everyday for a year. And a funny thing happened, around day 110 my feelings toward drawing took another change.
I started to not just enjoy sketching, but love it.
My hands started to itch to sketch. The pencil felt like it was part of my hand, and I could sketch more easily and draw better pictures.
Now I don’t have to worry that I'll miss a day, because I can’t not sketch. It’s part of who I am.
The same goes for writing.
When you first start writing consistently you’ll enjoy it. Then you’ll probably hit a roadblock, feel unmotivated and even consider quitting.
Most people quit when that happens. But if you keep going and get to your version of day 110, you’ll love writing more than ever.
Your hands are going to itch to write. Story ideas come naturally and easily to you. You no longer have to worry about not writing consistently. You can’t not write. It’s part of who you are.
What time everyday are you going to block out for writing?
What is a challenge can you give yourself to make writing a habit?
If you want to learn how you can write consistently, check out our free ebook How to Become an Unstoppable Writer here!
Become an Unstoppable Writer!
Immerse Yourself in the World of Writing
To make writing become a part of you, you must make it a part of your world.
Fill your day with all things creative writing.
When you're immersed in the world of creative writing, you will identify yourself as a writer. And writers write. So when you start identifying yourself as a writer, it will seem more strange not to write than to write.
Make it Awesome
If you absolutely love writing and you look forward to it everyday, then motivation comes easy.
If you jump out of bed each day excited to write your story, then you are sure to write far more consistently and for a longer time.
Writing doesn’t have to feel like a chore; in fact, making writing enjoyable is important. So do anything and everything you can to make it as enjoyable as possible.
When you love to write, it shows. Even someone who knows nothing about you can tell just from reading your book whether you enjoyed writing it or not.
When an author loves their writing, the reader will, too.
Here are some ideas:
- Write at the time of day when you have the most energy
What time of day do you have the most energy? In the morning, afternoon, or evening? Writing is so much more enjoyable when you have the energy to think well and make progress. Find out when you have the most energy and schedule your writing time then.
- Make your writing space comfortable
Environment plays a huge role in how enjoyable your task is. So make sure the room you’re in is clean, your chair is comfy, and the decor color scheme isn’t ugly shades of yellow.
- Enjoy your favorite beverage while you write
If you wait to enjoy your cup of coffee while you write, your brain will associate the taste of your favorite beverage with writing. So when you think of writing, you will think of the wonderful aroma of coffee, and when you smell coffee (or whatever drink you prefer) you’ll think of writing.
This little trick will make you love writing all the more. Not to mention, this will also give you a good excuse for why your caffeine consuption has suddenly increased.
- Listen to inspiring music
Music is perfect for setting the mood and getting you into the right headspace for writing. So make a playlist with the best story crafting music or check out some ambient background noise if music isn't your thing.
- Write only interesting scenes
If a scene is boring to write, then it’s also boring to read. So if something isn’t working in your novel and you’re bored, then try reworking the scene or taking your story in a different direction.
- Don’t have expectations
Setting expectations on how well you want to write is only going to set you up for disappointment. So instead, just focus on writing as best you can in that moment and have fun!
What things would make writing more enjoyable for you?
Little things can make the biggest difference. Don’t underestimate the simple actions of letting go of expectations, listening to music, and writing at the right time each day.
Just implementing a few of these and you will definitely see a difference in how much you enjoy writing.
Have a Writing Partner or Community
We are all so much more influenced by the people around us than we think.
Like it or not, we tend to mirror the people we spend the most time with.
But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. If we choose to be around the people that we admire, then we start behaving more like them without even trying.
So whether it’s online or in-person, get to know some more creative writers. Together, you can inspire, motivate, and help each other with your stories.
Having a partner in crime with your writing is a total game-changer not only for your motivation, but also for your quality of writing.
Do you have a writing community or a writing partner?
What forums or clubs could you join?
Do you have a friend or family member that likes to create stories that you could write a book with?
Writing often feels lonely, which is a common reason why you might feel unmotivated. But because of the internet, being a writer doesn’t have to be lonely!
A great place to start finding fellow writers is the Kingdom Pen forum! On the forum we discuss what stories we are currently working on, books and movies that we love, and random conversations about water buffalos!
So there you have it! The 3-Step guide to igniting your motivation to keep writing!
Motivation doesn’t have to be like the weather. It doesn’t have to come and go without rhyme or reason.
By implementing each of these 3 things, you will find your torch of motivation to guide you on your writing journey.
But now I want to ask you,
What do you do to stay
motivated to write?
Be sure to share what keeps you motivated in the comments!
Kathleen Ramm
Kathleen Ramm’s first writing project was a rip-off of the tortoise and the hare. She continues to write because when she was little she tried to enter Narnia multiple times, but they never let her in. Her only other alternative was to create worlds and characters of her own.
Kathleen joined Kingdompen because she was inspired to help writers at any level to write badly so that they can write goodly.
She enjoys writing with her siblings, doing Taekwondo, and sketching. Her greatest accomplishment is getting first place in a Taekwondo tournament (and there was only one other contestant).
Become an Unstoppable Writer!