No, really--I want to know. I don't think I could motivate myself if my life depended on it right now. I just have no desire to work on anything. Every time I think about getting the third draft of Uneven Lines done, I just cringe and stop thinking about it. If I want to plan out my new book ideas, I usually just picture some scenes in my head and then forget about it. I still haven't even named my characters or written anything down besides the synopsis for the first book, but I wrote that weeks ago.
I think part of it is because I've hit a brick wall with my editing. Of course, the other part is the feeling that no one is ever going to like this book, but there's not much I can do about that at this point. I just can't get myself to work on any part--even the easy things to fix, like cutting the words I overuse. Usually I over think things; now I feel like I have the opposite problem. I can't and don't want to think about it. I know what's wrong with it, but I can't figure out how to fix those things.
I just really want to get back into that mode of wanting to get things done. Pretty much all I can motivate myself to do right now is write blog posts and clean my apartment. I haven't been reading as much as I'd like to, either. I've been trying to finish a book for a long time so I can write a review, but I'll get through one scene and want to stop. It's not that I don't like the book, either. It's that I just have such a hard time motivating myself to keep going.
I guess the easiest answer is to just force myself to do something--like getting rid of those overused words. Maybe it will help me to ease back into editing. But it's hard to even motivate myself to do that.
What do you guys do to motivate yourself? Any tricks you'd like to share? Anyone else feel like they're in a writing slump?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Nothing much inspiring here, sorry. I let myself avoid it for awhile, and then I MAKE myself sit down and work on it. Even if I only get two sentences in, that's progress. Same thing, next day. And some days I find I'll get in a paragraph or two, or even a whole page. I keep pushing until I'm finally over that hump and I'll find myself excited again. Or at least super grateful that I got through that patch in the story and usually into one that I find a little easier. Don't be too hard on yourself, you'll work through it- we all go through these phases.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI guess I just force myself to begin and pretty soon I'm into it. Maybe force isn't the right word. It's like I throw the 'Just Do It' switch.
ReplyDelete(Sorry, typo in my first comment.)
One thing that motivates me is going to my favorite museum, like the Art Institute in Chicago, or watching a play that sells cheap tickets, or even just going for a walk around my favorite neighborhood and writing down all the interesting things that I see or hear. When I see other people's work/art in particular, it often inspires me to get back to my own writing.
ReplyDeleteI typically indulge my other creative venues when that happens. I'll draw, listen to music, hunt down music for playlists, design book covers, or just hop into a different story. Editing sucks the life out of me, so it's one of those that I force myself to do, a page at a time. Just one page. Then I can get up to get that snack. Or I'll step outside for a moment, do some jumping jacks, and then tackle the next page. No more than 10 minutes worth of break. It's not motivated work, but it does get things done.
ReplyDeleteI've been in your situation before and in all honesty, I fought against it. I created what my friend called a band aid folder and I took all the best comments people had given me about my story and re read those. Then I sent my WIP out again and found people who loved my story. One person even said they even cried at the end!
ReplyDeleteAfter that I was like wow, for every person that hates one thing, there's another who loves it. And so, I couldn't afford to cheat all those potential readers out of one day reading my story.
I also reminded myself that while I'm stalling, other writers are pushing closer to the finishing line. No way was I getting left behind!!!
I have a hard time getting motivated lately since I've been so busy with other things. By the time I get a chance to write, I'm usually pretty much done for the day! BUT, I often read back my previous books, or books I love to get me in the mood for writing again.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm struggling I turn to other creative outlets until I can get my brain on writing. If it's editing I'm struggling with, I work on another story that I'm excited to work on and I work on that until I burn myself out or hit a wall there. Then I go back to my original task: editing.
ReplyDeleteSometimes we go through ruts. I tend to go through those periods where I don't read anything and can hardly write. Maybe it's our brain telling us to relax. Give yourself the time you need to rest, if you need it, and then just do something. Even if you have to force yourself. Starting with the easiest /quickest task is always best.
it's so hard...I find the internet is my biggest enemy when I need to buckle down and write. So I ban myself--no windows open, only my word doc. Then when I need a break I'll read! Nothing makes me want to write more than reading a great book!
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that helps me (sometimes) is to go back to a favourite book and read the good bits (the book usually falls open at that page) and that tends to get the juices flowing again. Might work for you.
ReplyDeletemood