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Young Writers Society


Motivation to Write



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Gender: Female
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Sun Dec 13, 2015 7:18 pm
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Charm says...



Hi!
I'm Rachel but most people call me Mad :smt003

Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek.
Mario Andretti


A lot of the time finding motivation for writing can be hard. Some people are just naturally gifted at getting things done. I'm not one of those people, but I have learned ways to help gain and maintain motivation.


Here are seven tips that I personally use to gain and maintain motivation to write:

Tip #1
Little Steps


Anything you dream [can] be yours simply because you've focused on the steps you could take instead of the distance to get there.
A.J. Darkholme


I get overwhelmed easily, so looking at a novel as a whole kind of freaks me out. That is why NaNoWriMo does not work for me. Maybe it's the overwhelming word counts or just the amount of time they give you. A lot of people tell me to look at the big picture, but I feel like when it comes to writing that is horrible advice. Looking at an unwritten 50,000 word novel is stressful, especially for novice writers.
So look at it in smaller pieces. I like to look at my novel in chapters, but I've heard a lot of professional writers talk about scene goals.
I talk more about daily goals in tip #3

Tip #2
Routine


A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.
E.B. White


All lot of the time routine is bad. It stops us from leaving our comfort zone and living our lives. But when it comes to writing a routine is a necessity. Once you set a writing routine that works for you, you can get that novel done fast. I have not mastered the whole routine thing quite yet, but I try to write every night at eight o'clock.
Routine is probably the most important thing when it comes to maintaining motivation.

Tip #3
Daily Goals


A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.
Bruce Lee


It is important to have daily goals and a routine. I have already mentioned routine and scene goals, but I'm going to delve deeper into what I mean. Like I mentioned before I set chapter goals because I feel like it's more of a realistic goal than daily word count goals. Daily word counts goals can leave you in the middle of a chapter, whereas chapter goals will leave you at the end of a chapter. It doesn't matter what daily goal you chose all that matters is that you have a goal to reach every day.

Tip #4
Write about what you love


Writing is my obsession, my passion. My relationship with it is one of the most complex and agonizing and richly vexing that I have in my life.
Julianna Baggott


I find it surprising how many writers are just writing because they want success. But I'm going to tell you now if you want success, maybe writing isn't the best way to get it. Writing is competitive, stressful and tiring. Writing is also very rewarding and is a great kick for people who truly love writing.
There are also writers who truly love writing, but for some reason don't write what they actually want to write. If you love fantasy and are passionate about it, write it. Don't write historical fiction if you hate reading and writing it.

Tip #5
Edit and read your work


The best advice I can give on this is, once it's done, to put it away until you can read it with new eyes. When you're ready, pick it up and read it, as if you've never read it before. If there are things you aren't satisfied with as a reader, go in and fix them as a writer: that's revision.
Neil Gaiman


Let's say you want to get some writing done, but you for some reason can't put anything good down. This is called writer's block (you have probably heard of it). Writer's block can be a time consuming brain malfunction or just a little problem with the first paragraph. Reading and editing your work can help you get into the mood for writing and work past writer's block. If you are having the time consuming brain malfunction type of writer's block I recommend @Savvy's article on the topic, A Few Tips: Overcoming Writer's Block, because it has helped me.

Tip #6
Music


Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
Plato


I find that a lot of writers depend on music, whether it's to inspire, to stimulate emotions or write battle scenes. So when you can't find the inspiration and motivation just find some songs that go along with your manuscript. I personally have playlists for every manuscript I've ever written.

Tip #7
Other Writers


I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends.
Walt Whitman


I find the most effective way of getting motivated is my fellow writers. Getting a pep talk from one of my writer friends helps so much. Also watching youtubers like Jenna Moreci. That's what is so magical about YWS we get to interact with other writers. We get to help each other reach our goals and dreams.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask me. I love to help!
  








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