Wednesday, June 1, 2022

7 Ways to Find the Motivation to Write #IWSG


This month in the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, we have these optional questions: When writing gets tough, how do you stay motivated to write? What holds you back from writing? How can you get your groove back? 

1. First you need to know why writing is tough, why you’ve lost your motivation. This can be any number of reasons. Below are just a couple. 

Fear and doubt are the biggest and nastiest creativity killers. If you let them, they will sap you dry and hold you back. Writing is such a personal endeavor that we leave pieces of ourselves in our words. They are there for all the world to see and judge. It’s inevitable the nasties creep in: Will my writing be good enough? Am I wasting my time? I got one bad review out of fifty, so is that the end of my career? 

Then there’s those outside forces we have no control over: Health concerns, jobs with long hours and high stress, family tragedies, and the list goes on. Caring for my brother with a terminal illness stripped away my creativity for two years. I had nothing left in the tank. And now, after two years of a pandemic, of being shut in and putting life on hold, it seems that also affected my creativity. 

So, how do we get that creativity back? 

2. Being kind to yourself. Life happens. Fears happen. But the more we stress over not writing, the harder everything becomes. Sometimes you have to give yourself permission not to write. Sometimes you have to deal with those unavoidable demands on time and energy. Remind yourself it’s okay if that’s all you have left. And remember that this too shall pass. 

3. Try not to isolate yourself. In isolation, fears and doubts fester. In isolation, that creativity tank remains dry. Inspiration comes from rejoining the real world. It comes from living through those hard times, enjoying the good times, and breathing fresh air. Try going for a walk, lunch with friends, a visit to the local museum. Soak in sunlight and laughter. 

4. Read more. Make the time to read. Read often. Read something new, something old, something within your genre, and something completely different. It doesn’t matter. Just read. Reading wakes up the brain. It triggers those creative juices and inevitably encourages us to get back to that blank page. 

5. Reassess those impossible dreams. If you’ve been secretly harboring massively grand dreams, like becoming the next JK Rowling or Stephen King, then maybe it’s time to have a long, hard look at what it takes to get that big. Is it even attainable? Is it what you really want? Or is there something else that fits you better? Is it novel writing you love, or do you actually prefer writing short stories? Do you have an achievable plan to reach those goals? These are things you might need to ask yourself. The answers might surprise you. 

6. Start small. If you’ve lost your motivation, try getting back into it by taking baby steps. Write something only you will see. Something short. Don’t write for publication. Aim to write a single paragraph, if that’s what you need. A bunch of small achievements eventually leads to big achievements. 

7. Remember why you started writing in the first place. Like all relationships, our love of writing needs to be nurtured. The moment you forget why you love it, why you used to spend hours at the keyboard, is the moment you start to fall away. I love writing because I love stories. I love creating different worlds and populating those worlds with interesting people. I love playing with words and scenes and bringing them to life. Writing fulfils me. 

Why do you love writing? How do you get your groove back? 

This month, the IWSG Book Club is reading my book, Wielder’s Prize

I’m honored and excited. Grab your copy quickly while the ebook is still only $2.99. The price will be going up soon.You can grab it HERE

Unable to control her magic, Jasmine is a danger to everyone, but someone worse on the high seas wants her dead. Wielder's Prize is an epic fantasy adventure that's full of twists and is hard to put down.

I believe the book club discussions begin on the fourth Thursday of the month, so 23rd June. You can go HERE for the discussion.

Happy reading!

31 comments:

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lynda - that's great the IWSG Book Club is reading Wielder's Prize ... if one has writing in one's veins then it won't go away ... perseverance is the key - good luck to you cheers Hilary

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Definitely do not isolate yourself. That's part of the purpose of the IWSG - keep writers from being alone.
Great choice for the book club this month!

Natalie Aguirre said...

So agree that fear and doubt can rob us of the desire to write. And sometimes life challenges make it impossible to write. Your tips are so great.

Liza said...

Sometimes when I am afraid to write something, I stop for a while, but just to muster up my courage to get the worlds on the page. The only time I really stopped writing for a period of time was just after my husband died. I simply couldn't. But before long, I forced myself to sit down to write a sentence, and then a few more. Then I realized, as I always do, that writing saves me.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I've been doing SO much reading the past few years. It's nice to be back in the groove of writing though.

Jemi Fraser said...

LOVE Wielder's Prize - so good!
Fear and doubt are difficult to overcome - love your advice and agree with it. I have no desire to be a best-selling author - way too much pressure for me. I much prefer just having fun with my characters!

Computer Tutor said...

Great suggestions. I've tried most at one time or another, with at least some success!

Nick Wilford said...

Great advice here. I think losing touch with why you love writing can be a big drag factor. Writing every day while keeping it fun is the ideal, but remembering that breaks are totally okay, too.

cleemckenzie said...

You've made excellents points. I really like the last one about remembering why you started this in the first place.

Carol Kilgore said...

Excellent points! I'm the world's worst boss and very hard on myself. I need to lighten up :)

Damyanti Biswas said...

These are some excellent tips :) We must learn not to be hard on ourselves!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Perseverance is definitely key

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Yep, that's why I love the IWSG so much.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Natalie

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Reading is the best way to keep your writing skills up and to keep your stories fresh.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

And your fun shows in your wonderful stories. They are such great reads.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Reassessing is important. It can also be scary at times ;)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Jacqui

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Totally! Thanks, Nick.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Love keeps us going in more ways than one.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Yeah, we can be our worst critics. Sometimes that's a good thing, but other times not so much ;)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Damyanti

Fundy Blue said...

Such a wonderful, thoughtful, helpful post, Lynda! I'm really working on being as kind to myself as I am to others. I loved your "Well of Ash." I'm not going to be able to get to your "Wielder's" series just yet, but I will. I'm so sorry about your brother. I adore mine, and I cannot imagine my life without him in it. Kudos to you for being there when he needed you most.

Lynn J Simpson said...

This list is great, Lynda. I think all writers may need each of them from time to time. When I entered a new job this past fall, my reading and writing time became limited. I also fall into fear and doubt, so number one describes me well! That's great the Welder's Prize is being read by ISWG!

Lynn J Simpson said...

Apologies for the spelling error!

cleemckenzie said...

Indeed it does!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thank you so much for your kind words. Much appreciated.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Life has a way of giving us hurdles to leap when it comes to writing. And no worries about the spelling error. The W and S get mixed up all the time!! Good to know I'm not the only one ;)

Deniz Bevan said...

Such a good list! I know what usually stalls me is the fear of "I suck!" I need to be a better advocate for myself.

H. R. Sinclair said...

Being kind to yourself is the most overlooked tip! But a really needed one to remember.

Michelle Wallace said...

Excellent tips, Lynda!
It's so cool that your book has been chosen for the IWSG Book Club!