Self-motivation: How to keep writing when things get hard

Time for a moment of harsh truth.

Writing is difficult. It is time consuming, frustrating and even painful at times. It’s a long, solitary activity that, when done properly, requires that the author pours a part of themselves onto the page for the scrutiny of others. It also takes a long time to see any returns on that effort. For many, success is not guaranteed even after all the work that they have put into their project.

This is the reason that so many authors quit before finishing a single project. Only an estimated 3% of aspiring novelists ever make it to publication.  Of the 97%, most do not even finish their novel and many stop within a few chapters.

Why is writing a novel so difficult?

It takes concentrated effort and discipline to finish writing a novel, something especially hard to do while also maintaining a full-time job, as so many modern authors are. With so many demands on your time, it is easy for writing to fall on the wayside, your manuscript a forgotten file on your hard drive.

About 2-3 chapters into the story is also when reality hits. The exciting rush of a new story is gone, and it is time to get to the nitty gritty part of actually crafting a novel of proper length and good quality. It is the moment that you start to second guess whether your story is good enough or original enough, and the more you think of it, the harder finishing it seems. And before you know it, your motivation for writing that story is gone, and one of two things happens: you pick up a new story to write or you quit altogether.

Writing is difficult.

How to stay motivated to finish your novel.

• Make writing a daily habit

Write every day. It does not have to be for long -you may only have 10 minutes- but however much time you can give, make sure it counts. Spend every last second of those 10 minutes putting words on the page without pausing for your inner editor. You can proofread your work at a later stage.

• Never stop writing

Writer’s block can be crippling, but there are ways to overcome it. Instead of pushing yourself to write your novel if you are feeling particularly stuck, try working around it. Perhaps you can go on a tangent about one of your characters’ side stories? Or use a writing prompt to jog a new scene, even if it one you know will not make it into the novel itself. These types of exercises can deepen your understanding of your characters and make your stories richer in the long run, so don’t look at them as lost time, but as opportunities to deepen your understanding of your work.

• Write with a plan

It may be tempting to just start writing but making a basic outline or summary of your story is advisable if you are struggle with motivation. This will still allow you to skip around if you don’t feel like writing linearly, but keep you focused on your goal. Losing sight of the project is an easy way to lose interest.

• Talk about your writing

Tell the people in your life about your writing. Odds are they will find what you are doing exciting and will ask a ton of questions about your project. This can keep you enthusiastic about your story long after you start to struggle with motivation. It is also a good way to keep accountable for finishing in a specific time frame.

• Join an author’s group

If you have a little more spare time, commit to joining an author’s group. There are many to choose from, both in-person and virtual, and they can be a breath of fresh air to your writing. Just being around others who face the same struggles as you is motivation in itself, but the people you meet may also be a wealth of knowledge in various topics that you may not have otherwise encountered. Your local library is a good place to start, or websites such as Meetup that host virtual meetings.

• Turn your perfectionism off

Comparing yourself to other published authors is a good way to feel like your writing is lacking, and for the feeling that everything you write needs to be just so to kick in. But this does not take into account that most of the novels that you are looking at have gone through multiple rounds of editing before reaching the local bookstore’s shelves. And this was after the author edited their first draft a few times. You first draft won’t be perfect. Your finished product may not even feel good enough if you are constantly looking at it from that perfectionistic edge. Let it go and allow yourself to be creative.

Use the tips above to create a daily writing habit and start working on your novel today. Good luck!