HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED – TIPS AND TRICKS (part 1)

If you’ve started your novel, then you are an author! Maybe not published but still YOU ARE AN AUTHOR. It’s hard to start writing, to think up a plot, characters, to start writing. So pat yourself on the back….you’ve made a start and that’s the hard part done. Now you’re finding it’s a challenge to keep the momentum up. Now, you’re stuck in this place for days, months, even years.

What do you do? How do well-known authors keep themselves motivated?  Here are some tips.

Write regularly, EVERY SINGLE DAY if you can.  Most authors know that scheduled writing is the best thing to keep them motivated. Did you know that as you start to write, cells in your brain’s frontal and parietal lobes are triggered and become more active? Other parts of the brain (motor cortex) are activated when you write creatively rather than just absorbing facts. This has been observed in laboratories under brain scans, where some patients were asked to copy text and others to create it.  The different results in brain stimulation were observed, though further experiments need to be conducted.

When I started to write, I made myself a comfy place for writing (I call it my writing nook) and removed all distractions – turned off my mobile, my alerts, shut the door, told the family I am not available for an hour, under pain of death, they are not allowed to disturb me for an hour. You know you have to do it!

I sometimes take my writing to the library or a café, or the park if it’s a nice day. My favourite is having a day retreat in the Café overlooking the sea. Sure I have to budget for it (can’t expect them to let me sit there all day with only one cup of coffee). I choose a quiet day, arrive early to claim a window seat, order my coffee and bring out the laptop. I tell the café staff that I will be here for several hours and make sure I pre-order my meals and coffee. This allows the best time management. Bon Appetit!

Just like children, we will step up if we are rewarded. I have this calendar and each day I write (and I try and write every day) I give myself a sticker.  I don’t know about you, but I love those tiny stickers available in their thousands and envy the kids who get to stick them on everything. Every day I write, I reward myself with a fancy sticker or two (or more) and I place them on the calendar. Mix it up –smiley faces, some animals, flowers, tools….keep it light – whatever is fun!

“What consumes your mind, controls your life.”  Cait Flanders, author of A Year Of Less. Flanders decided to try living without shopping for a year. She only bought what she needed in the way of consumables: groceries, toiletries, and petrol. It worked. By focussing on her goals she managed to achieve them in a year. I like to think of writing as consuming my mind and my life and I will eventually reach the goal of finishing my novel. I give myself a year but aim to finish the first rough draft in under six months.

Find inspirational quotes that bolster your belief in yourself. Print out the quotes and each day pull one out and pop it on the wall where you can see it.  Visualise yourself finishing your novel. Visualise yourself as an author signing your newly published novel. Let yourself be consumed by your writing. Think and breathe it every day. You can do it!

Lastly, remember to always REWARD YOURSELF.  Just as a dog needs treats to learn new tricks, so you need to reward yourself when you start writing. Tell yourself you will give yourself a treat once you’ve written 500 words.  Keep it simple, a square of chocolate, an episode of your favourite series etc.  Visualise this : 80,000 thousand words @ 500 words a day = 160 days 22 weeks, 5 months. That equates to a mountain of treats, but hey, you deserve it!