What motivates you to write? Knowing what motivates you will help you focus and stay on task. Plus, if you know where to go to get motivation when you’re feeling discouraged, you’ll get out of any writing slump faster. You can’t let those slumps stop you–especially when you are writing on a deadline.
To evaluate your motivations, think about these things:
Who motivates you to write? Is there a person in your life whom you are writing for, or is there someone who knows what encouraging thing to say? If so, when you start to fall off the writing track, think about that person or give your encouraging buddy a call. Or maybe your potential audience motivates you?
When do you feel most motivated to write? Do you write best in the morning, midday, or at night? One of my close author friends has young children, and she gets up very early in the morning to write so none of the kiddos distract her. Find the best time for you and stick with it! Create a writing schedule for yourself.
Why do you write? (What motivates you?) Think about your goals for writing. Focus on them, and when you feel discouraged, think again about what you would like to accomplish with your writing. It’s a good idea to write down your goals and keep them near your writing space.
Where do you write best? Where is your writing space? Some authors write best from home while others are too distracted at home and must write at the library or a coffee shop. If you find yourself unproductive, try something new. Avoid the Internet while you write; consider disconnecting your router or turning off your phone during your scheduled writing time.
If you feel comfortable sharing some of your answers, please do!
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Your Proposal’s Secret Weapons: Title, Hook, Comps, and Synopsis
I never quite felt called to write,
never did have that desire,
but when words call me in the night,
they are as a pillar of fire
moving gently ’round my bed,
but they are, insistent, too,
and though I’d rather sleep instead,
I know what I must do.
Does God lead me to this place
of metre and of rhyme?
Is it something born of grace,
or some conceit of mine?
Either way, I’ll forsake rest,
and give these lines my very best.