I talked last Saturday a little about setting reasonable goals to encourage ourselves to stay motivated.
I think it’s also important to find intrinsic rewards from writing.
I was away most of the day yesterday, chaperoning the state’s middle school band competition at a North Carolina university.
For weeks, the kids’ lives have been dominated by band. They’ve had extra practices after school and taped their individual practices at home for their teacher’s review. They’ve mastered a rigorous program for the competition.
The school had won the state competition for 11 years in a row. The teacher is very talented, but drives the kids hard. And the kids, including my son, were complaining about it. They all seemed completely burned out and were talking about not continuing band into high school.
We listened to the other bands all afternoon yesterday. I know little about music, but I thought the bands sounded very good. Their playing was strong, clean, lively.
Our band was last and when they played, I could tell a difference. It was remarkable, actually. Their songs were complex, each piece several times longer than the other bands. They played the selections expertly, effortlessly, drawing us into the music.
They won for the 12th year in a row. Of course, they were absolutely ecstatic. They’d worked incredibly hard for weeks on it, plus the months in class.
I could see that their wells had been filled again. The work had been worth it. Their success had justified the means.
To me, though, the push was a little too hard. If it had been me, I’d have wanted to have a little more moderation…some daily successes to keep me going. Because the big wins can’t be counted on.
Writers give up so much to write. The only way to really improve is to work at it—work hard at it. Frequent practice is crucial.
The rewards are not always a published book and critical acclaim. In fact, many of us might not end up published until years down the road. There are so many things that drain our creative wells—day jobs, family demands, setbacks, hectic schedules. We’ve got to find some sort of reward in the writing itself to make us continue, despite the hard work.
For all the days when writing is a grind for me, there are the days that really keep me going. Days when I’ve been really happy with a great turn of phrase, or a fitting subplot, or even just a nice word choice.
There are days when everything I’ve written is total crap…I think. Even on those days, though, I’ve found that there’s something I can salvage from the day…an insight into a character, a decent bit of description, a nice word choice. Or even, the fact that I wrote at all—even though I clearly wasn’t in the right frame of mind.
It’s an odd time to make a resolution, but after each writing session, I’m planning to note something positive from the experience…something that worked. It’s too easy to get burned out while writing. A little positive reinforcement is a great motivator.
What keeps you motivated with your writing?
Elizabeth – I think keeping oneself motivated is so important, especially on Those Days. I find that celebrating small successes helps me. When I finish a chapter or scene, work my way out of a plothole or something like that, I pat myself on the back. Breaking down large tasks like writing into small parts and then some sort of little reward (a special cup of tea, a walk, something like that) for each part done can really keep a person going.
Elizabeth, I am so struggling with this right now. It’s hard for me to motivate myself to do any of the things that bring me joy, including writing. But I’m doing a little each day, and by little I mean one or two paragraphs. Any day I write even a few sentences is a good day for me.
Karen
Like you, I have started celebrating the little things daily to stay motivated. And celebrating the fact that I wrote something today, even if it was crap, is important. Sometimes I get discouraged because I only wrote a few hundred words on a fiction piece, but I may have written thousands of words that day between my blogs and articles. Writing is writing, whether fiction or not.
Let’s be honest, there are days when opening up your manuscript on the computer is your success story. I try to see the little victories, even if it’s only a funny line of dialogue floating in a sea of mediocre writing.
Congratulations to your son’s band!
I never really thought I would be published, so it had to be just a sense of accomplishment with writing that kept me going.
I agree – it is something that I talk to my clients about – it is crucial to have celebrations along the way otherwise our ‘littles’ get discouraged and just plain stop – kerplunk – in the middle of something and won’t budge. I like it when a piece of my writing on a blog gets attention – for the writing not the topic – as my other writing is into the void.
Reading keeps me reaching for the keys. When I let my imagination slip into published territory, and my book balanced between the other letter E’s on the shelf.
Yea, dreaming and reading…
Good point about not pushing yourself or your children *too* hard.
A few things that keep me going: encouragement from blog friends and fellow writers. I don´t think flash fiction is the route to fame and hard cash, but when my readers laugh at the pranks of my Knavesborough crew, I think that there will also be readers for my novels – and that makes me struggle on, month after month.
Cleo: I think Elizabeth knows by now that I suffer from bad health so even though I do quite a lot to get published, it is just not a good idea for me to push myself too hard (if I try to, it backfires immediately).
So for me, it is important to remember to write for the love of it and celebrate the small victories because even though I struggle to find an agent & a publisher, I have days, sometimes weeks, when I can hardly write a line. I believe I will get there one day, but it may take me 3-4 times as long to write a novel as it does for you.
And please don´t think I´m whining, I just need to stay level-headed and feel happy every time I have made another dollar.
Good post about a good point. I get rewarded by lauditory reviews, they’re great when they pop up by surprise especially. Also, as a spiritual/inspirational author, when someone lets me know they were inspired or helped in some way by reading one of my books – that’s awesome!
Awww, congrats to your kids! How exciting being part of a band that’s won 12 years in a row.
Happy congratulations on your son’s accomplishment! You make a salient point about hearing the difference between a band that worked to perform well and one that strived with stubborn single-mindedness to bring its performance to a higher level. That’s my motivation as I continue my journey. Every new day presents a new opportunity to lift my writing a level higher than it was before, one page at a time, one chapter at a time, one book at a time. Otherwise, what’s the point? Then it’s just a grind, isn’t it? (At this point, my readers keep me going, too. I’m sure that’s a strong motivation for many series writers.)
~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
Jumping back in to debate a little here, given Dorte’s comment above (Hi Dorte!). If Elizabeth’s son and his fellow students did not push themselves, would they have won the competition? Would it matter? The bands that didn’t work as hard may have had a great time, too, and not cared in the least about winning, and that’s fine! I’ve critiqued manuscripts at writers’ conferences, and I always tried to remain mindful of the writers who wanted advice as far as reaching goals of publication (and having a pro career) and those who just enjoyed writing, darn it. The latter *should* enjoy writing as a form of self-expression, therapy, and community and *not* worry about working too hard. The former, well…(tough love here) I do think you have to be hard on yourself if you want a pro career. You have to be disciplined, committed, and work at *finding* what motivates you to keep going. (Just wanted to clarify my two cents. Publication is not everyone’s goal, and I do understand that completely! :))
~ Cleo
That’s a really good idea. I’m quite good at finding the weaknesses in what I write, but not always the reverse – definitely something to work on!
I’m a music teacher by day and former band memeber, so I can totally relate to practicing night and day before a competition. As far as what keeps me motivated, I like spending time with my characters. If you don’t like who your writing about, you’re not going to want to spend your valuable time with them.
Wise words. Thanks very much. This is just the small bit of motivation that I need to keep me going. Finding at least one positive on the writing each day is a great way to keep the right ‘tape’ playing. Cheers
What an excellent idea. It’s one I’ll try the next time I’m less than motivated. Right now I’m on the last major round of revisions. Not done – but rounding the final turn. I desperately want to cross the finish line.
Kudos to the band!
Margot–I like your point about breaking the huge project of writing a book into segments to make it manageable. It’s a great way not to get overwhelmed.
Alex–Sometimes it’s the little things, isn’t it?
Jan–Like your beautiful poem on grief last week.
Karen–Anytime we put a few sentences down, even ones we think we’ll have to scrap later, then we’re making progress!
The Old Silly–That’s especially nice. Not only are you getting good reviews, but you’re helping your readers at the same time!
Laura–I think the idea that they would be the 8th grade that *didn’t* win the competition made them pretty stressed before they left! They were so relieved and happy after it was all over. :)
Maryann–We’re practicing all the time. I think that blogging is fantastic practice!
Elspeth–Exactly! Opening up that document and thinking about our next move with it is part of the process too. :)
Tamika–Very good point! That’s my ultimate motivator–that I want to share my books with readers.
Cleo–Thanks! That’s the point where I am, too…trying to kick it up a notch with each book. I don’t always hit my goals every day, but overall, I’m getting there! And you’re right about the readers. They’re great to email and Facebook and tweet and ask when there are more Coffeehouse Mysteries and more BBQ mysteries!
Dorte–I think that’s one of the main reasons I love blogging so much–the support out there from other writers is tremendous. And only other writers can really understand where we’re coming from.
Cleo–I think you’re right that everyone approaches tasks/writing with different goals. Some folks want to share on a small level, some never want to share their writing. Some might only want to pursue publication so far. Sometimes, the writing life is completely exhausting–and I know you share that exhaustion because I know exactly how much you’re pouring into everything you do. Your promo, your writing, your editing process, your recipes for your books–I can see the painstaking effort in every detail of everything you do. For you, there’s a focus and a drive that was necessary to get where you are (bestselling author.)
There are days where I seriously wonder if I’ve got a screw loose or how long I can keep up the pace. And I love it, love it, love it! But then there are the days where I really think this is the craziest, most terrifying, most exhausting job around. It’s only the love of it that pushes me on.
I *think* a writer almost has to be a little crazy. I’ve got 2 series, you’ve got 2 really *successful* series…it’s a lot! I think you’re right–it’s the drive…whatever that ultimate motivation is–readers, creative rush…that keeps us going. I think love of the writing gets me through the crappy days. I know it’s the love of *sharing* the writing with readers that is my big-picture motivator.
Dorte–To me, your discipline in spite of your illness shows your dedication. I *will* write when I feel sick, but that’s because of the deadlines. It’s not love of craft on days when I don’t feel well, that’s for sure (it’s fear of paying back the advance!) And you’re putting out ebooks of your excellent stories. :) So you’re building readers, too.
Suzanne–Oh, good point. If I’m not enjoying spending time with my characters, that’s a red flag right there that maybe there’s something *wrong* with my characters! That’s when I start tweaking them in earnest. :)
Kevin–There’s always something we can pull out of every experience–even that we opened up the document and gave it a go that day.
Congrats with 12th victory.
I’m taking older boy to a competition tomorrow, not band, but freestyle skiing.
Right now my writing is on a low level, unfortunately. Too much work, and most busy part of skiing season. I hope the motivation for writing comes back when the green leaves come back to the birches >:)
Cold As Heaven
Elizabeth – I just wanted to drop back and say how much fun I had reading your post today and all of the comments. I’ll tell you what. (Like Kevin) You motivated me!
Dorte – Thank you for reminding us all that the *love* of the craft is vital. And I didn’t think you were whining! On the contrary, I think you’re very brave. I also think you’re right about knowing yourself and what makes sense for you as a writer. Burnout is a real danger, and if we push the muse too hard, she may just go on strike–or even find a new address. :)
~ Cleo
One mistake I make is not setting reasonable goals. I do set big goals, and the smart thing to do is break them up into smaller, more manageable goals. Good post and it inspires me to look over my goals and To Do List and break them up into smaller tasks. Approach them in this way.
Hi Elizabeth .. congratulations to the band – that’s a tremendous achievement for them & perhaps something they will remember later on in life.
I like your idea of writing down the positive from the day .. there’s always something ..
I love comments they spur me on – though I have a dilatory spot at the moment! Have a good weekend .. Hilary
Cold As Heaven–For you it would make sense to just have more of a rhythm with your writing that corresponds to what’s going on in your work and family life. You always seem to keep writing, even if you’ve got periods of time where you have to put it aside. :)
Cleo–Muses on strike! That’s a scary idea. Mine seems to go for very long coffee breaks and sometimes she doesn’t come back…
Jemi–I think we all can be really hard on ourselves. :)
Carol–Desperation is also a good motivator!
Stephen–Writing a book can be so overwhelming that it’s great to just break it down into as many small parts as possible. Then, during revisions, make sure it’s a cohesive whole. :)
Hilary–Comments are a great way to give and get support, aren’t they? :) Thanks for being such a loyal commenter here.
Thanks for sharing your words of wisdom. I’ve been struggling for a few months with my manuscript and find your insight very helpful. I’ll be posting a link on my blog today for my readers.
Many thanks!