5 Tips To Help Get You Motivated

 Are you feeling sluggish? Not in the mood to write? Do you need a kick start to get you motivated? Friend, you’ve come to the right place. I know your time is valuable so I’m not going to give you 25 tips to get you going. I’m not going to give you a top 10. We all have things to do so I’m giving you my top 5 motivational tips to get you back in the chair and start working on your book. Because the world needs great stories like the ones you want to tell. Lets get started.

Number 1- Imagine yourself writing.

Since the bulk of my day is taken up with work, I like to visualize myself writing. I think about sitting down and working on my book. A lot of times while I’m doing that, I get a hit with a wave of inspiration and I stop what I’m doing, if I can, and jot down the ideas I get. This usually gets me excited and I can hardly wait to get home to work on my story.

Number 2- What made you decide to write?

Maybe it’s because something happened to you and you want the world to know about it. Or you have a great story you feel needs to be told. Whatever the reason, use that as motivational fuel. Put a picture of it on your desk and look at it when you don’t feel like writing. I Love comic books. I’ve always wanted to write them. I got the idea for Deadlock back in 1994. I won’t bore you with the the story of how I finally got it written. You can read about it here. After decades of batting it around my wife said I should take everything I had and write a book. So I did. She believed in me even when I didn’t. Now I have a published superhero fiction book and I’m working on it’s sequel. Go back and remember why you wanted to tell your story.

Number 3- Commit to a daily schedule.

Because I work a full time job and take care of my daughter in the evening, I only have 2 hours to write. I’m not blessed with hours of free time. I need a dedicated schedule to keep me honest. As soon as I put my daughter to bed, I go downstairs and get to work. The book won’t write itself. You need to be disciplined and stick to it. I want to add a caveat- Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Life has a way of coming in and throwing all our well intentioned plans right out the window. If you need to miss a day, so be it. Just don’t use it as an excuse to take large amounts of time off or you’ll find 2 months have gone by and you haven’t written a single word.

Number 4- Read.

Reading is a great way to ignite your imagination. Taking the time to walk around in someone else’s world can help you see how you want to create yours. There have been multiple times I’ve been reading and I come across a sentence or paragraph that sparks my inspiration. I put the book down and I start writing down ideas so I won’t forget them. Find a book in your genre and take it everywhere you go. Read during your lunch break. That’s what I do. Just keep reading.

Number 5- Don’t be afraid to write poorly.

 There’s an old saying that goes “You can’t edit a blank page”, so write whatever comes to you. This may not be news but everyone’s first draft is terrible. That’s why we have second drafts and editors. Don’t worry about trying to be perfect. A lot of people put off writing because they don’t think what they’re writing is good enough. Art is messy. Your first draft will need work no matter how careful you are. So sit down and type. The world needs your story.

I hope this helps get you moving. I still struggle with my motivation and I’ve used these tips myself. They work.

Thanks for taking the time to visit. If you could give this a like and share it with your friends, it would go a long way in helping a struggling author. Until next time.