Easy Ways to Motivate Yourself to Write When You Need to
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Finding a way to motivate yourself to write can feel like shoving yourself in your skinny jeans after gorging on two Thanksgiving dinners. It’s that hard sometimes.
But if you don’t make time to write, you’ll neve finish your children’s book! So here are some easy ways to get yourself motivated to begin the writing process even if you don’t feel like writing.
Easy Ways to Motivate Yourself to Write When You Need to:
If you’ve ever found yourself unable to drag yourself to your computer to type your story, or feeling unmotivated to finish the draft you’ve been working on trying to finish, these easy tips will be the perfect recipe to get you writing again.
Here are 4 easy ways for you to motivate yourself back to writing your story:
1. Find Some Inspiration
There are two fun ways to get yourself inspired to write about your topic: reading other books and watching TV (Yes, you can actually watch TV). Just make sure that they’re kid-related.
I find that turning on a 20-minute kid’s show really gets the inspiration going (I particularly like to find a similar genre to the story idea I’m working on). But the key is to turn off the show after 20 minutes and sit down at my computer.
Otherwise, you run the risk of laying around all day binge-watching cartoons. And that isn’t a way to motivate yourself to write.
2. Try a mind dump or writing about something else.
Maybe the reason you can’t find the words to write is because you’re stuck on your story. When that happens it’s best to motivate yourself to write something else.
Try another picture book idea you’ve been playing around with, edit an old manuscript you haven’t looked at in forever, or move onto a different section of your novel. Then come back to what you’re supposed to write.
3. Realize that you may just need a break for a bit.
If you’ve been working on the same story for a long time, you could be exhausted. You can’t motivate yourself to write because your body is telling you to sleep and give your eyes a break.
Try a power-nap, a walk around the neighborhood, or relaxing with your love. Anything away from the screen that will give your body the rest it needs so you can come back to your project refreshed.
Even if you have a looming deadline, you should still give your eyes some time away from the screen.
4. Schedule your writing time.
In a perfect world, you’d feel like writing often enough to create beautiful prose all week long. (Insert magic butterflies and other fairy tale creatures.)
In reality, you’re rushing to work in the morning, coming home after 10 hours to quickly make dinner, do laundry and other chores, make sure the kids have their homework done, and maybe kiss your spouse to remind them that you love them. Then you flop in bed, only to rinse and repeat.
Who would feel like writing after a day like that?
The fact is if you wait to feel like writing, you will be waiting more times than not. You’ll be a waiter, instead of a writer. Save yourself the disappointment and schedule time in your week to write. Then make it a point to show up!
If you need help with this, check out our More Productive Planner to help you find time in your schedule and keep it.
Hitting a wall and not being able to motivate yourself to write happens from time to time. When it does, try finding something to get your brain excited to write or even taking a break for a bit.
You don’t need to wait with writer’s block for long.
Also check out these other articles to get you excited to write:
- How to Find Time to Write & Not Feel Guilty
- Reasons to Write Your Book, and Not what’s Popular
- 45 quotes to get you inspired to write
- The Morning Routine to be a Successful Writer
- How to set Effective Writing Goals
You can motivate yourself to write today!
