Personally I think the title is a bit of a misnomer because it implies that if you can’t find the motivation then you shouldn’t write and this attitude is perhaps the most insidious thing about being a writer. There is this idea that because writing is a creative endeavour that you should and can only work when you feel inspired or motivated to work and this can be incredibly damaging, especially if you want to make the jump from hobby writing, to writing professionally.
That being said there are things you can do to keep your motivation levels up so that when you do write you’ll find it easier.
1. Remember why you are writing. It sounds kind of obvious but the best motivation, at least for me, I’ve found is to remember why you are writing, keep pushing towards your goal and keep reminding yourself what that goal is.
2. Change up your writing routine. I’ve spoken about this previously, but a good way to refresh the ol’ motivational reserves is to change up your writing routine, whether it’s your actual environment or just how you write, maybe try pen and paper rather than the computer or write in bursts or commit to a time every day to writing.
3. Treat Yourself. I’ve been trying a fun little idea that I heard somewhere of having a little piece of candy or some other small treat every time I complete my word goal, it’s surprisingly helpful and you certainly manage to get something down on the page.
4. Take a Break. I don’t just mean from writing, I mean a complete purge of all things writing for a short time, no thinking, no obsessing, no note taking, nothing! Just relax and take a break from it all and when you come back from it hopefully you should be re-motivated to write.
5. Just Do It. Not just my favourite Shia LaBeouf and/or Nike quote but the best advice I can give, and what I touched on in my intro paragraph. But motivation or not, schedule allow or not, just write and write consistently, sure you’ll lapse sometimes and you are allowed breaks and time off, but the best way to be motivated is to just keep writing.
So those are just a few ideas for remaining motivated and hopefully if you follow some or all of the suggestions above then you can finish that important Work in Progress.
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