Writing Juicy Fiction: Transformative Writing Tips

Writing Motivation

Sometimes writing motivation just isn't there.

I had to stop writing for years, and here is how I got back into it. Secret tip: I took an old completed version and set it in a new universe, becoming my own fanfiction writer who has created some of my best work.

Conform or Suffer was an alternative universe retelling of Uglier. Now Uglier is the parody version and more of a little treat after readers read Conform or Suffer. I didn't get rid of Uglier, but used it for the expanded universe. 

Here are some other ideas:

If you have an ongoing book, you realize you will never finish it. Write at least an epilogue and give your book an ending; complete it. Your story deserves it. Write an outline if you need it. A finished novelette is better than an unfinished epic.

I always recommend completing a novel or novella before you publish it. It's easier to fix a broken chapter than an unfinished book. And you never know what will pull you away from writing.

Don't write every day. Schedule at least one day off for yourself, even if you end up writing, anyway.

Short story collections can be ended at any time, so you can write them as you go.

Enter prompt contests; these will give you an idea with a prize attached. These contests often have fewer views, so I like to expand them into collections after the contests end. Even losses can turn into amazing collections.

If you can't write at all, promote your work or someone else.

Just say I will write three lines today and call it a win.

If you just don't want to read someone else's story, leave a kind comment. You might be the only person who keeps a writer from quitting.

Write book or movie reviews or how-to articles. Nonfiction is still being written.

Editing is still actually active writing. Even if all you did was edit an old manuscript and revise it for publication, it's still writing.

Writing sprints can be magic for some writers. Give yourself a half-hour or an hour or two to write, then split up into 15-minute blocks. You don't need to write for ten hours to create. If you only have 10 minutes, just write for 10.

Listen to audiobooks or read short stories or novels. Reading is part of writing. After you read a good book, point out what you like. Then read something of yours and point out what you like before you are critical of it. You need to know what works before you can be critical.