How to Stay Motivated While Writing Your Novel
It is difficult to start a novel-even tougher to finish it.
To stay motivated, it is often wise to resort to drastic measures.
Do not use the clock.
When you make the time to write, do not measure your progress in minutes.
If set for yourself the goal of writing for one hour, it can easily end up being fifty minutes of staring at the page or pacing, followed by a few painful sentences.
Pacing the room or going for a stroll can help, but do not call it writing.
The best thing any writer can do is write.
Set for yourself the goal of a word count.
If you force yourself to sit until you have produced 500 words, then you will often find the inspiration you did not feel when you first sat down.
Afterwards, you will then be 500 farther into your novel.
Even if it is a rough 500 words, you will at least have made headway, fine-tuning your talent as a writer.
Do not talk about your novel.
Talking about your novel is a sure-fire way to make sure you never write it.
It is extremely tempting to describe it to your family and friends.
You want to see if your novel is worth pursuing.
You want them to become so enthralled with your novel, they beg you daily to finish it.
Describing the premise of your novel in a few words is one thing, but talking about it too much is a mistake.
The person you are talking to will not respond as enthusiastically as you hope.
A lukewarm response can kill the passion of your idea.
Even if you get a great reaction, you just used up the creativity you should have spent actually writing your novel.
Do not be too quick to throw away words that never reach paper.
Reward yourself.
Once you have set word-count goals, treat yourself each time you achieve them.
Whether it is a favorite dessert or a night at the movies, find a prize for your eyes.
Promise yourself something big when you complete that first complete draft.
If you have finally gotten around to actually writing your novel, it is not always easy to stay motivated.
Do not let your momentum fade.
Do what it takes to get that novel done.
To stay motivated, it is often wise to resort to drastic measures.
Do not use the clock.
When you make the time to write, do not measure your progress in minutes.
If set for yourself the goal of writing for one hour, it can easily end up being fifty minutes of staring at the page or pacing, followed by a few painful sentences.
Pacing the room or going for a stroll can help, but do not call it writing.
The best thing any writer can do is write.
Set for yourself the goal of a word count.
If you force yourself to sit until you have produced 500 words, then you will often find the inspiration you did not feel when you first sat down.
Afterwards, you will then be 500 farther into your novel.
Even if it is a rough 500 words, you will at least have made headway, fine-tuning your talent as a writer.
Do not talk about your novel.
Talking about your novel is a sure-fire way to make sure you never write it.
It is extremely tempting to describe it to your family and friends.
You want to see if your novel is worth pursuing.
You want them to become so enthralled with your novel, they beg you daily to finish it.
Describing the premise of your novel in a few words is one thing, but talking about it too much is a mistake.
The person you are talking to will not respond as enthusiastically as you hope.
A lukewarm response can kill the passion of your idea.
Even if you get a great reaction, you just used up the creativity you should have spent actually writing your novel.
Do not be too quick to throw away words that never reach paper.
Reward yourself.
Once you have set word-count goals, treat yourself each time you achieve them.
Whether it is a favorite dessert or a night at the movies, find a prize for your eyes.
Promise yourself something big when you complete that first complete draft.
If you have finally gotten around to actually writing your novel, it is not always easy to stay motivated.
Do not let your momentum fade.
Do what it takes to get that novel done.
