Motivation for Writers

By Leslie Adkins

We may say we love to write, but for some reason getting started is the hardest thing to do. It’s the unspoken secret with writers—writing is actually hard! And we have to be really good at self-motivation because there is no one else to do it for us.

Often we procrastinate or try and wait until inspiration strikes--which for me happens about as often as I get hit by lightning. Amazing when it happens (if ever) but we can’t wait for it.

Break Large Projects into Small Pieces

Deciding to complete a novel, a screenplay or a non-fiction book proposal is great, but you will never get started if you don’t break that up into small pieces. Make a short plan that takes the final outcome and breaks it into manageable sections or tasks. The smaller the piece, the easier it will be to complete—everyone likes checking things off a list as done. Also, if you have a list of tasks (or scenes to write) you don’t have to complete them in order! Sometimes you feel more motivated to work on the marketing plan for your non-fiction book instead of writing a sample chapter.

Set SMART Goals

A goal is a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-oriented statement. A goal is not “I will become a writer.” It needs to be more like “I will write at least 500 new words every day.” Or “I will complete a full edit of chapters 1-5 by May 1st.”

“I need to finish my novel,” sounds scary! How about: “I will complete chapter 10 by next Friday.”

Review your progress weekly and be flexible to change. Life has a way of upsetting best laid plans. Every week, relook at your goals and update them as necessary. My favorite quote is an old Chinese proverb: It doesn’t matter how slow you go… so long as you do not stop.

Don’t base your worth on a vague assumption. “When I get something published, I’ll be a real writer.” Specific and measureable goals help you know you have accomplished what you set out to do.

Reward Yourself

If you didn’t write this week, don’t beat yourself up. Start fresh with a new week and new goals if needed. Create a reward like “I’ll buy myself that new novel I want after I write 2,000 words.” Figure out what works for you, and set that as a reward. And maybe you need to reward your family members—if they leave you alone to write then you’ll take them out for ice cream!

And don’t use someone else’s idea of a reward—whatever works for you, that’s what you should do.

Positive Self-Talk

Many years ago I attended a seminar on positive self-talk. What I learned is that what you say to yourself, matters. Practice rephrasing negative thoughts into a positive. I am soooo tired becomes I could use more energy today. I’m having a terrible day becomes I could be having a better day. It’s about asking the world for what you want, not what you don’t want. Sometimes it sounds corny, but it works.

I have to write this article. Writing this article will make me feel successful.

Ugh, I don’t feel like writing today. Once I start writing, my creativity will come alive.

I haven’t published anything. I’m not a real writer. If I write today, I’m a writer.

I’m a failure. I haven’t written in weeks.

Life has thrown me a curve but I’m ready to get back in the game and start writing again.

Write Something Else

I don’t really believe in writers block. There is always something to write. If you can’t motive yourself to work on your novel, then take a break and write an article or a poem. Can’t get started on that short story? Write a blog post instead. Or just try some free writing. Sometimes just the act of writing something gets your creative juices flowing. Writing something, anything, can also help banish the hidden fear behind thinking “what if it’s not good enough.”

Struggling with a challenging co-worker? Frustrated with your kids or spouse? Write about that! Events you are emotionally tied to can be good motivators. You may not do anything with the piece, but it will engage you and wake up your creativity.

Encouragement and Accountability

A set schedule helps you complete your goals and get into a good writing habit. Having someone you are accountable to will truly make you more successful (and gives you a deadline!). Take a class; join a writing group; or set a call with a fellow writer every week to review your goals. Having a check-in with someone ups the pressure a bit (often we work better under pressure!). It will also keep up your spirits when you are feeling unsure about your writing. More often than not, I go to my writing group feeling like what I’d written was crap, and they would love it! Or at least give me great ideas for fixing it so that I would love it.

Write

What do I like about writing? Having written!

The big secret to the writing craft is that you have to actually do the writing. But hopefully you enjoy the act of writing. Maybe not every time but often enough to keep motived. If you aren’t accomplishing your goals, relook at them. Are they too aggressive? Are they too structured? Are they unrealistic or too big? If you aren’t feeling excited about your goals, try some new ones. If something is important to us, we will make time for it.

After a really good session of writing or at the end of a week when you accomplished all your goals, make a quick list of how you feel. Pull out this list when you are having trouble getting started. This is the best motivator there is.


www.leslieadkins.com

The Long and Winding Road

It's hard to believe that I'm writing these words: I've sold a book. Blue Water & Me will be published by Aberdeen Bay Press this spring. I can't tell you how excited I am, but I can tell you about the long and tortuous road it has taken me to get here.

            I had a major operation in December of 2003. While I was recovering I decided to write that book that I had been meaning to pen for over twenty years.

            The story flowed from my fingers. Something magical happened. I wasn't thinking up this stuff, it just came out on its own.

            I was consumed with writing. Every spare minute (and some time at work) went into my masterpiece. It only took me about three months to get to the end. "What's so hard about this writing business?" I thought, rather proud of myself.

            Then a little voice nagged at the back of my head.

            Was this book really good enough to publish? Would anyone want to read it? I did some research and found a free-agent editor here in Seattle to take a look at it. It cost me about $1200.

            After reading my baby, she sat down with me and explained the harsh reality of life.

            "What you have here is three stories. They're all good stories, but you can only tell one in this book. Chose the one you like the best and save the other two for later."

            She gave me pages of edits she suggested. I was hopeful but crushed.

            Back to the drawing board. After a year of edits and re-writes, I presented my editor with a new version.

            "I can see this book in book stores," she said. "It will be on end-cap displays for Father's Day and Christmas." Then she went on to give me more pages of edits and things I needed to fix.

            The second round of edits only cost me $800. (The prices have gone up since then.)

            After another year of edits, changes and corrections, I decided to take my book to market.

            I read all the books I could get my hands on about querying agents and finding a publisher. I found The Shortest Distance Between You and a Published Book by Susan Page. I followed her instructions implicitly. (What she didn't say was that the shortest distance for me was going to take six years.)

            One of her steps was to get published authors to endorse you book before you submitted it to agents. I did. I sent out about twenty letters to authors asking for endorsements and surprisingly, three of them gave me endorsements.

            I used the best of the three for my opening paragraph in my query letter and told the agent that authors A and B had also written me endorsements.

            Something worked right. I pitched my book at the PNWA Summer Conference and had several more agents ask to see the manuscript. The first agent that read the manuscript signed me on as a client. Then he worked his tail off to sell the book.

            He pitched it to every major publishing house in New York. He pitched it to several movie studios. He even tried to sell it as a YA book.

            He did get one major publisher to put it on their list of possible titles. The publishing house meets with Barnes & Noble every six months to pitch their new titles. B&N turned my book down, so the publisher dropped it.

            Finally, my agent had to tell me "We're just going to have to put this on the back burner."

            I went on to write what I considered more saleable commercial fiction. I didn't sell any of that either.

            Fast forward six years. I am at the Write on the Sound conference in Edmonds Washington. One presenter had a book that was similar to mine, published by Aberdeen Bay Press. "OK," I thought. "I'll give it another try." I sent a submission for Blue Water & Me to Aberdeen Bay Press. I didn't hear back from them.

            Time marched on. A year later I got an e-mail from the acquisition editor at Aberdeen Bay Press. My manuscript had finally emerged from the slush pile. They loved it.

            It has taken over a year from the time they said they loved my book until I got final word that it was going to press. It has been long and frustrating, but it will finally see print.

            Now the real work begins. Writing and selling your book is about 50% of the process. The other 50% is marketing the book. Presuming you want to have good sales, you much work your rear end off to sell it.

            I start that process tomorrow. I'll try to update the Legion of the Plume blog with our ideas and successes for anyone else in the same situation to follow. Keep reading . . .

Check out these writer blogs

Shameless promotion for blogs from writers I know.  Leslie

http://fadeintotime2.blogspot.com/

www.recoveringdysfunctional.com

http://rnishi.wordpress.com/2012/07/

To My Inner Critic, “Shut Up!”

I spent the weekend at a writer’s conference and some time with an old friend.  How come when you hear advice from the lips of someone else, usually something you already know, it becomes a “wow” moment.  My friend, I’ll call her the Wise Scribe, told me “You are already a writer. You’ve written a ton of stuff.  You need to stop trying to become one and start making some cash from writing.”  Ah, the ultimate challenge for a writer, acknowledging you worth so you can market yourself to the world.  This Wise Scribe also said, “You have done a lot of giving back.  It’s time to focus on you.”

This is exactly what I’ve been thinking in the wee hours of the night.  After over 20 years of working full-time and 16 years as a single parent, I’m ready to focus on me and my passion. Writing.  That thought has been pinging around in my brain but to have someone say it, to give you permission, enlightenment.  I feel transformed.  It’s okay to think about me!  

When I started to push back with the inevitable “but,” the Wise Scribe said, “Here’s the best piece of advice.”  She held up one finger.  “One thing at a time. You only have to do one thing.  Find the one thing and do it.”  One thing?  I can do that?  I don’t have to send 25 queries, today I can send just one. Little baby steps.

Wise Scribe also had this revelation, “When your inner critic is telling you you can’t, tell her to Shut up!”  It’s time to start changing my focus.  I am a writer.  I am not just a harried mom or a stressed out office worker.  I am a writer.  That is my passion.  I’m allowed to be selfish and start spending my energy pursuing my passion.  Thank you oh, Wise Scribe!  I love you!

Leslie

A Book About Writing is Like A New Eye Shadow

For a woman, the cosmetics aisle at the drugstore is like a long row of possibilities.  There are all these products that promise to make us beautiful, radiant, glowing, sultry, sexy, tan, younger…. Don’t even get me started on stores like Sephora and Ulta where the entire store is dedicated to beauty items.

I read somewhere that the reason these stores call to us, suck us in, is because they offer hope.  We can change our hair color, skin color, make-up, smell, plus over our face anti-aging remedies. We can go from dull to pulsating in moments!  Each item we try offers the potential for change.

I feel this way about the aisle of books on writing at the bookstore.  Rows and rows of possibilities. They promise to improve our dialogue, strengthen our plot, deepen our story’s emotions, make the setting leap off the page, guarantee us an agent or publisher. Maybe if I read the right one, my writing will magically improve. All I need is one new piece of advice and I’ll be the next Janet Evanovich.  Get real.

Don’t get me wrong.  I like writing books.  I’ve had an addiction to them for some time, but I’m currently in remission.  I rarely read these books all the way through.  A chapter here, a chapter there—like a bright blue eye shadow or a sparkly silver eye liner—a little goes a long way.  But I’m always looking for that spark of inspiration that feeds me to write another day. I tell my students to try different books to find the words that speak to them and are helpful in their current place in writing. 

Writing books can be a way to avoid writing.  If I just read one more then I’ll have what it takes to get my novel finished.  But like the new improved advanced wrinkle cream that appears monthly promising to make us look ten years younger in two weeks, a book about writing doesn’t make you a better writer.

I can’t imagine not having read and re-read Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird.  I constantly re-read Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel and The Fire in Fiction.  These are my bibles of writing wise words to motivate me.  But they can’t make me write--only I can make me write.  

Writing makes you a better writer--practice, practice, practice.