Writting tips and tricks. :)

Tip 7. Ways to stay motivated! (As a writer)

How do some writers stay motivated when they are writting? Like, it is actually really hard. As a writer you have to put in so much work and you never know if it will pay off.

I struggle with staying motivated too. I really want to keep writing, but then I wil sometimes be sitting onfront of my laptop and then I am like, what do I even need to write and then I just start reading a book or something. So I tried to gather some tips and I really hope they will help both you and me.

1. Write what you want to write.

The first tip is write what you want to write. It's hard to finish a project if you're not actually enjoying it. 

I think we have notitions of what we should be doing. But they don't necessarily align what we want to be doing.

When I started writing I wanted people to read my book, vote and comment. I wanted my book to be popular and well known. So I wrote something I hoped I would be proud of, but now looking back at it, the book is terrible. Some people may like the book but I don't, I just hated writing it and I didn't update very often so after a while I just stopped with that book.

Also, Never be embarrassed about your passion,  your weirdness or anything that brings you joy and helps you in your life. These aren't weak points, these are all strengths! Embrace who you are and what you want and don't hold back. Your dreams are yours. own them!

Ask yourself, why do I write? Are you doing it for yourself, to get known, for freinds, for your parents, to look cool, Why do you write? I write for myself, to let loose my fantasy. I publish my book for others to read and I will see what comes from it, but I don't stop writing it because I need it, writing is my passion and something that helps me through my life so Wattpad is all just a bonus for me.

2. First drafts are allowed to be shit.

The first draft of anything is shit.

The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.

If I waited for perfection I would never write a word.

Why are these words comforting? Because first drafts are allowed to be terrible! They're supposed to be! The most important thing about the first draft is getting to the end and figure out your story. Your first draft won't be great - seriously, no matter how good of a writer you are - it's going to have problems. But that's okay, because when you are don eyou can just go back an fix it.

When you are working on something that doesn't feel as good as that amazing book you just bought from a bookstore, it's easy to feel like you aren't good enough. But it's like what they say on social media, don't compare your backstage life to someone else's highlighted reel.

let your first draft be bad! Stop worrying about perfection. Stop going back to the same chapter and edit it over and over again. Just get it finished!

3. Have a main conflict!

It is SO hard to finish your first draft without a main conflict! (Most of the time I don't have a main conflict and it takes me way to long to even start the first chapter)

Your main conflict is basicly what your character wants, what will get in their way, why and the consequence of not overcoming it.

It's your problem, you are the baddie. The thing your character has to get past.

Without a conflict you don't have a story, you just have things happpening.

You don't need to plan your whole story, that's not what a conflict is. You can justsit in your writing chair and let you fantasy loose, but you do need a conflict. A conflict allows you to stay on track and have a vague idea of the route you need to take to get to the end.

Without a conflict you might lose focus, you will write youself in corners, get lost, waffle and most of all you're going to lose your motivation and abandon your project.

It's easier to finnish something when you have an idea of where you are going!

4. Make writting a part of your routine.

I personally don't do this but I have gotten this tip multiple times.

Choose a time you want to write, like after dinner or before breakfast. Do this every day, you don't have to write much, you can edit a chapter you have already written but if you do this every day it will eventually be a part of your routine.

You don't have to write much, but you will write atleast a little bit every day and eventually you will get you motivation again.

I hope that these tips will work and that you will get your motivation to write back. :)