8 Tips for Becoming Self-motivated to Write

8 Tips for Becoming Self-motivated to Write

Anybody Can Write a Novel

Chapter 1 “Beginning to Write” – Section 4 “Self-Discipline”

With Links to Supplementary Material

I've talked before about dealing with writer's block, and different techniques for conquering it. But how do we write diligently and with self-motivation, given the overwhelming amount of distraction around us and the difficulty in becoming self-motivated? Today, I'm going to give some of the strategies that I have found to help me the most, so that you can try them or even modify them to fit your own personal strengths and vulnerabilities.

Tip 1: Identify the problem.

To solve any problem, you must be self-aware enough to understand it. Perhaps you are distracted by the overwhelming amount of content on the internet, by social media, by texts and phone calls, or even by your own imagination. Maybe you quickly become disheartened or disinterested in stories as new ones pop into your head. Maybe the thought of writing an entire novel is intimidating. Or maybe your inner critic won't let you finish a paragraph without objecting to everything you've written. Figure out your own personal obstacles, and then write them down so that they are in a concrete form—like an unsolved math equation ready to be dealt with.

Tip 2: Come up with practical solutions.

Once you identify a problem, the first thing you'll want to do is to come up with practical solutions. These would include disconnecting your internet or turning off your phone when writing, writing down your new ideas for stories in the form of an outline and then letting them sit until you are finished with your current work, or resolving not to change anything you write down until the next draft. No matter what tricks or strategies you employ for remaining diligent in your writing, they are pointless if you do not begin with the self-discipline necessary to employ practical solutions to your problem.

Tip 3: Structure your story with plot and chapter outlines.

When I first started writing, I found that the thing I spent the most time doing was sitting in my chair, twiddling my thumbs, and trying to figure out what could happen next because I lacked direction. If this is you, try writing down exactly what has to happen in every chapter and scene that you write—where your character needs to be, the emotional state they need to be in, what they will need to have learned, and the necessary events so that your plot functions smoothly. In a day or two, you can completely outline everything that needs to happen so that the rest of your writing time is spent getting from one point to the next.

Tip 4: Create realistic deadlines.

We all have a realistic idea of how much writing that we can complete before our brains turn to mush or we have to tend to other obligations, whether this be a couple of pages a day, or a chapter a day. Create a manageable deadline for how much you must complete before the end of the day—based on how much you are able to write when you feel tired and have no motivation whatsoever. Keeping track of your minimal amount of work will help you to keep yourself on task even on bad days, will encourage you when you are able to write more than your minimum, and will show you your progress as a writer as your minimum amount of work per day increases. Remember to be easy on yourself, however, and to give yourself a break on a day when you might have a long dentist appointment or something of that nature. The point is to make yourself feel encouraged, not to penalize yourself and make writing a chore.

Tip 5: Aim for completion.

Perhaps your problem is that, for whatever reason, you tend to quickly lose motivation for the story you are working on. The problem is that both significant increases in skill and progress towards becoming an author can only be achieved by finishing complete stories and then redrafting them so that you can learn where you need to improve in your craft. To learn self-discipline in this area in writing, you may have to force yourself to continue, even when you become bored or start to feel like your story idea is inferior to your next one. As Anne Lamott says in her book on writing, just take it “bird by bird”. One page, one scene, one chapter, one book at a time—until you have finished something complete from which you will have learned techniques and attained ideas to write something infinitely better for your next novel.

Tip 6: Create a writing ritual.

By this I do not mean sacrificing a dove over your keyboard and chanting an oath to the writing gods—your keyboard keys would get sticky, and that wouldn't be very nice for the bird. But create a habit for yourself—specifically meant to deal with whatever things keep you from being self-motivated, and to activate the part of your brain that puts you into “writer mode.” I, for example, struggle with getting distracted on the internet and with getting stir-crazy and discouraged about half-way through the day. Because of that, I created a writing ritual that begins at 8 am with coffee and a 22-minute cartoon. Then, I write diligently until noon (the time I usually get discouraged and tired), when I will eat lunch while watching another 22-minute cartoon. Then, I take a walk to get my blood pumping, get some sun, and to have some time for self-reflection, before returning to my computer and continuing to write until evening. By forming your own personal ritual, you create a structured strategy by which to optimize your diligence in writing.

Tip 7: Write at a disadvantage

If you are a person who struggles with an inner critic, with distracting thoughts, with daydreams, or with any internal “entity” which keeps you distracted or unmotivated, then you may need to come up with ways to drown them out. One way of doing this is to keep part of your concentration busy while the rest of it is devoted to writing. Some people write when they are extremely tired, some with a caffeine buzz, and some even write in places where there is lots of noise. You might even try writing while standing up, and your legs bending and shifting, and moving in place. Just find what strategy works so that you can learn to keep on task. And once you do learn this form of discipline, these purposeful disadvantages will likely become less and less necessary.

Tip 8: Be honest with yourself.

One of the things that motivates me to write diligently are hard truths that I always try to remember. If I do not write diligently, my story will never be finished and I will never be an author, and nobody but me will ever see or care about the worlds, characters, and stories that are locked in my imagination. There will never be a time where I will be less distracted unless I make it happen. And the only way of becoming a writer is to struggle through the learning process. This knowledge that I have one life in which to use to its full potential is a harsh but guiding reminder of how I should be spending my time, so that I never feel justified in the excuses I make for not writing. Perhaps this is too weighty or discouraging a reminder for some writers, but if it is helps you to put your actions into perspective, it may very well be a reminder that you need, too.

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