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Need Motivation to Write?
Then Write It Down!
by Carolynn Carey
Ever notice that the most common excuse writers use for not writing is “I don’t have time”?
On the other hand, have you noticed how obsessed most of us are with the need to write things down? We have grocery lists, things-to-do lists, and contact lists. We have notebooks or address books filled with information we need to navigate in today’s world: passwords and user id’s; account numbers and phone numbers; email addresses and snail mail addresses.
What’s my point? Just this: I’ve found it helps to write down how many pages I write per day. The accountability to myself provides motivation to write. But it’s not as simple as just writing down a number on the days when you actually write. Here’s the method I use.
First I get a small calendar that I can use exclusively for keeping up with my writing. I prefer the size that is given away by a popular greeting card company because I can store it behind my keyboard on my desk’s pull-out tray. I leave it right there in plain view with a pen beside it so it isn’t easy to forget that I’m supposed to be writing instead of surfing the net or playing computer games. If this doesn’t appeal to you, any size calendar will do, and you could just as easily store it on top of your desk. Just don’t stick it in a drawer where it’s easy to forget.
Second, set a goal. Decide how many pages you can realistically write per day. Then decide how many days you can realistically plan on writing. If you’re going to be out of town for a weekend, take that into account. Then multiply the number of pages by the number of days and write this figure at the end of each week. If you’re already published and have a deadline looming, you may prefer to set a goal based on the number of words you need to produce in a week. It doesn’t matter how you define your goal as long as you set one.
Third, reward success. Rewarding yourself when you reach your goal is an important component, but it need not be an expensive one. A simple and inexpensive method would be to give yourself a gold star for each week you meet your goal (stick the stars directly on the calendar at the end of the week) and maybe a red heart sticker for any month when you meet your overall goal. If this sounds like too much trouble, just a simple hand-drawn star or smiley face would suffice.
Fourth, prepare to regroup. Life happens, and there are going to be weeks when you simply cannot meet your goal. Don’t allow yourself to become discouraged. Simply revise your goal and continue writing. You’ll soon forget that failure because you’ll now be achieving your revised goal.