Today is one of those days when it’s hard to stay motivated to write. Outside is boringly grey, my son is on March break but camped on the couch with a brewing illness, I have a gajillion tasks to do, and the thought of doing my tax return sucks the life out of me.

Ever face days like those?

I found motivation, now how do I keep it?

I set myself a goal of blogging weekly. Suck it up, buttercup, time to get stuff done. [Here’s a perfect example of how I stay motivated to write, having started this blog on Monday and finished it on a Tuesday.]

Set Goals

Any decent approach to “how to stay motivated to write” begins with setting goals. The best goals to keep you on track are SMART.

SMART  goals are: Specific, Measurable or Meaningful, Achievable or agreed upon, Realistic or relevant, Time-based.

How does this translate into writing?

Say I want to write a 80K word novel. I can’t accomplish that word count in one sitting. Breaking the 80K manuscript into reasonable chunks that fit into the chaos of my daily life makes more sense, especially when my muse is on vacay.

Even a pantser like me can do this!

I like setting weekly or daily goals, depending on my day-to-day activities, or the submission deadlines I upon which I stumble.

When I have “ideal” writing circumstances, I incorporate more fluidity. In addition to a word count, I brainstorm over the development of characters or plots. Some of those ideas may be axed later, but I give myself a measurable amount of time to think about them.

Being Successful Perpetuates the Motivation to Write

Plodders and pantsers benefit from the positive feedback loop that comes with reaching a target. You set a goal, achieve the goal, and, whoot-whoot, you want to write more! Be mindful of the converse: if you don’t reach your target, you get bummed out, doubt yourself, and may not feel motivated to write again.

Plodders work best with concrete numbers for writing sprints and word count. For example: “I will write the outline of my book in two weeks, within which I will work on my outline every day except Saturday.” Pansters, write whatever takes your fancy, but do it within a designated amount of time. For example: “I will create four character sketches by the end of today.”

Re-Set Goals with Immediacy

Writing is not a job of luxury. We don’t sit around having martinis with our muses waiting for motivation to come to the party. And let’s be honest, sometimes life events laugh in the face of our carefully laid out goals.

I started this blog post yesterday (Monday). My son’s illness, combined with the hours spent working at the hospital, interfered with achieving my goal of getting the post out on the same day. Instead of leaving the post until an unspecified time, I made finishing the post my first order of business for Tuesday.

A modified deadline vaguely set in the future removes my sense of urgency, and I lose motivation.

I also don’t beat myself up if I don’t reach a particular writing goal. I honestly examine what got in the way. Did I set a goal I couldn’t achieve, like writing an entire book on holiday with my family? Did I not apply myself to the task, like browsing Facebook instead of researching online?

Personally, I’m far more productive when kiddo is at school and hubby is at work. Set myself a word count goal during March Break? Not gonna happen – especially not now with a germ-bag in the house. I set a goal of two hours of creative writing a day. In that time, I’ll churn out a new story, complete another chapter, or begin a new project, whatever my little panster heart desires.

Cut Out the Competition

There are many demands on our time, some of which can’t be ignored.

I delegate some of my domestic chores which gives me more time to write. I forcibly ignore the time-sucking (although enjoyable) black holes that have become as habitual as breathing, like tapping that little red circle with the number of pending notifications on my social media profile.

The world will forgive you if you disappear from the weapons of mass distraction for few hours, or even a few days. And if anyone judges you for hiring a cleaner, or social media manager, they aren’t the kind of person you want in your wheelhouse. Consider giving your financial info to a tax return specialist, relieving yourself from those pesky numbers. I’m super glad I did!

Free yourself from distraction and swim in your imagination.

10 Quick Tips: Stay Motivated to Write

1. End your writing session with the first sentence of your next scene or chapter. When you return to your work in progress, you won’t start with the dreaded blank page.
2. Listen to music that matches the pace and mood of the scene you’re writing.
3. Write at the time of day when you feel most energized, and try to keep to a repeating schedule.
4. Take a physical movement break. Going for a walk unleashes your unconscious creativity.
5. Share your work with writers and readers who will provide encouraging, constructive feedback.
6. If you blog, write evergreen content in advance when you have more time. Release the post when you’re struggling with fresh inspiration or motivation to write.
7. Use writing sprint tools (or a basic kitchen timer) to spur you on.
8. Join writing communities like NaNoWriMo to keep yourself on track for bigger projects.
9. Prioritize your projects. Pick one or two that must be completed before you allow yourself to develop new ideas.
10. Always have some kind of writing tool at hand to capture your creative mood whenever it strikes.