At one point of time every reader has the urge to write a book. But many of them lose the fire due to lack of motivation. Well, here are some tips you can follow if you start writing.
1. Remember the reason why you are writing
Why did you start your book in the first place? It helps to keep your eye on the prize. It may be to see your story finished or your non-fiction ideas flowing into a cohesive form in a proposal so you can approach a literary agent.
Experts have found that people fall into one of three intrinsic motivational categories; that is, most individuals are motivated more or less by one of three things: challenge, affinity, or power.
If you're an author who's motivated by challenge — going for a tough goal and then nailing it — then finishing a book might be a no-brainer.
If you're motivated by affinity, then your motivation is the connection to and bonding with other people. You might be better off framing your "prize" in terms of others.
Alternatively, if you're motivated by power, then maybe it's “I may get recognized by the media”.
2. Take Your Foot Off the Gas Pedal, Just a Bit
Stalled is sometimes just another manifestation of overwhelmed. Let's face it: in addition to writing a book, your life likely includes obligations to your spouse and friends and kids and pets and the job or gigs that pay the rent or mortgage.
Or, maybe your brain is overwhelmed by plot complications and needs to work out a way forward in the background — maybe your creative engine is flooded, so to speak, and won't turn over even though you're diligently at the keyboard.
But whether it’s your desk and life that’s got too much going on or just your brain, get clarity on what you can accomplish next. That's your very small, next goal.
3. Don't Cheat on Your Book With Another Writing Project
When you hit a slump, there's often another writing project that calls to you, one that's suddenly more seductively attractive than the one in front of you. That's because it's easier to start something fresh than to stick through the tough parts and slog through to the finish.
But, as much as we all would like our writing lives to be easy, don't be fooled — having an affair with another creative endeavor is likely to lead to a long string of incomplete projects, broken promises to yourself — and nothing complete to show for your time spent, or (worse) nothing to send to an agent or an editor.
4. Build Your Motivational Writerly Community — Offline and Online
Writing a book is most often a solitary endeavor. It can be isolating. It can be lonely. And, if you're successful at it, it means you're signing on for more isolation. Most writers are built for this but many of us need at least some camaraderie and commiseration with people who understand what we're going through.
Enter a community. Whether it's a random few fellow writers you see at the coffee shop where you like to write or an organized group, it's good to have at least some social outlet.
For new writers, writer’s groups of all sorts help to keep you abreast of developments in the industry, make you part of a community that helps breed networking and getting the contacts to help get you published. And, of course, a good writing community helps encourage you while you’re learning and hoping and helps pick you up when you’ve had the inevitable disappointment.
Readers, if you got any more tips which you can add in the list just let us know in the comments section below.
Posted by,
Saransh Soni
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