To be a writer, you have to be self-motivated – even if you’ve been lucky enough to have a publisher pay you an advance to produce a book. There’s always the possibility that you’ll experience days when you feel you’re just not up to the challenge.
Writers ask themselves (and me, as their instructor) as they labor:
- Is my writing any good?
- Are my ideas hackneyed?
- Who would want to read my stuff?
- Can I pull this project is off?
- Why can’t I get this thought into the right words?
- Will I be able to get anyone to publish this?
It’s your job to do whatever you have to do to stay inspired. Here are some ways to do that.
- Create a title for the story, essay, or book you want to write and post it where you can see it often.
- Visualize your byline on a page.
- Post inspirational messages and quotes above your writing space.
- Imagine yourself on television, discussing your writing.
- See yourself at your own book-signing event.
- Participate in a writer’s group or class.
- Be supportive of others’ writing efforts; they’ll be supportive of yours.
Finally, here’s some advice from Mark Twain:
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
How do you keep yourself inspired?
For more tips, follow me on Twitter @lynettebenton.
Want more time to write?
Hi Lynette,
I love your inspirational messages here on how to stay inspired to write. I’m inspired!
You have obviously given this subject a lot of thought and it’s great that you’re sharing your knowledge with others. You’re truly making a difference in the world. Keep doing what you’re doing!
To your magnificence!
Andrea Woolf
Founder, Ignite Your Life Book
Co-Founder, Wake Up Abundant
Ambassador of Manifest Money, HowtoLiveonPurpose.com
Thanks Andrea. I’ll get in touch to say hi via email.
Being supportive of other writers is a wonderful way to get support without asking for it. Thank you for that reminder. My blog is my first “public” writing project, and hearing from people like you is what keeps me writing. Thank you.
Thank you, Shakirah!
Hi Lynette, I am so thankful for people like you…your words alone are inspiring. I wrote to you on twitter, hope to hear from you. Your insite is needed…thank you.
Thanks, Lynette for such an invaluable and inspiring list. You broke it down for all writers who often share similar self-defeating thoughts and experiences. You are a writing coach down to the core! Thank you. Keep up the great work!
GREAT ideas Lynette! I smiled shyly as I read your tips, “Imagine yourself on television, discussing your writing,” and “See yourself at your own book-signing event.” Because, admittedly, I’ve done both (grin). Another big motivator for me, is being able to break free of Corporate America and live by my own rules. If I become a successfully published novelist, that dream becomes a reality.
Oh yes, and I ALWAYS gain inspiration from reading other great works. Most recently? THE HELP.
Always a pleasure to read what you have to say Lynette, and I agree with your tips as I’ve used more than a few myself. I would like to add “Keep your goal in mind” to your list.
Different people will have different goals, and that’s okay because what the goal is doesn’t matter. It’s a focal point, the “oh yeah, that’s right” reminder that works when all else fails.
The goal is a powerful motivator, and that’s good because I’m relying on it more and more lately. ;)
Great post. Simple things make all the difference.
Thank you, Josephine. You’re right.
I find deadlines to be the best way to make sure I keep writing. That, and membership in a writers’ group. I’m going to try NaNoWriMo for the first time this year, since I have a book rumbling around in my head (fantasy genre) that really needs to get written.