Motivation and the Writing Life

Keeping Motivated By Focusing on Today

April 21, 2014April 21, 2014Motivation and the Writing Life

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

By now in North Carolina, we usually have average daily temperatures in the lower 70s and sunshine more often than not.

It’s been a very strange winter and spring in the US.

We did have a spate of spring-like weather last week for a short time. Since I’ve been feeling a little daylight deprived, I decided to go outside and do some gardening. Actually, it was more like “yard work” since “gardening” to me denotes doing something light and airy with flowers. This was work where I somehow ended up getting filthy and had to mop and vacuum my floor later because I’d tracked in. Continue reading

Maintaining Momentum as We Write

March 17, 2014March 16, 2014Motivation and the Writing Life, Writing Tips

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I was sitting with the other parents watching my daughter’s horseback riding lesson when one of the moms there asked me if I was always inspired when I write each day.

I always hesitate when I answer this question. It sounds awful to say that I’m rarely inspired when I write. For me, it’s more of a discipline. Aside from those wonderful, feverish moments when I’m scrabbling around in my pocketbook for paper and a pencil because a fabulous idea hit me…I’m just sitting down and focusing on creating a story, inspiration free.Continue reading

3 Common Reasons We May Not Feel Motivated to Write

January 20, 2014January 19, 2014Motivation and the Writing Life

by Bridget McNulty , @nownovel

No matter how badly you want to write, you may find yourself feeling unmotivated. However, by figuring out why you are unmotivated, you can overcome that inertia and get back to putting words down on paper regularly.

One of the most common reasons you may be unmotivated is due to fear. Fear might be telling you that your writing will never be good enough. Fear might be suggesting that you compare your first drafts to the published output of longtime professional writers and wonder why you are not magically producing work that is just as good on the first try. There are a few ways to manage this fear. One way is simply to realize that most first drafts are not very good and that no one starts out as a brilliant writer. One psychological trick involves giving your worries and negative thoughts space and a time limit. Five minutes to vent about all your worst fears may be all that is needed. Finally, keep in mind that most writers are not fearless either, but they keep writing in the face of that fear.Continue reading