Sometimes we need an extra push while we write that ramps up our creative juices. For me, I listen to music while I write. The music I listen to depends on the type of scene I am writing. Mostly , I listen to instrumental music, but there are times I include lyrical pieces. Here’s a list of music I listen to when I write.
The Sound of Silence by Disturbed (Cyril Remix) Hero by Alan Walker & Sasha Alex Sloan Pilgrim by Enya Heart over Mind by Alan Walker & Daya Welcome to Walkerworld by Alan Walker Fantasy Music – Daydream Mix by CacnaPaul Dragon Empress by BrunuhVille The Realm of the Fallen King (feat. Sharm) by BrunuhVille
An author acquaintance of mine on Facebook posted a question. The author’s name is Ivy Logan (She writes excellent books by the way) It read:
“What drives you, what makes you willing to face another day, what keeps you wanting to strive, to achieve new goals and, on the days when you are drained, when you feel nothing is going your way, what motivates you to rise again and to persist?”
I felt this is the perfect question for my blog readers because it makes you stop and think about something that we don’t normally address every day. We get up and move about, doing what we are supposed to do or want to do. I didn’t answer this question on Facebook, but I am going to answer it here, now.
What motivates me is my daughter. She’s not only my child but also my best friend. Without her there would be a gaping hole in my life. So, cheers and hats off to Tatjana. She is truly one of a kind, and I am so proud to have her.
What if what motivates you gets up and walks away? What if it no longer exists? What then? For some this may be as simple as looking to something else that also motivates you. For others it may not be that simple. Maybe what motivates you is something different for different areas of your life. Through all of this there is one constant, and that’s you. You, out of all of your motivators, are the greatest motivator for yourself. Well, God is a given. He motivates me to a huge extent. I may not always listen, but he does.
It is all too easy to become discouraged when something you are excited about and go for does not go the way you thought it would. The easy thing to do in this case is to sink in that discouragement and to give up. BUT…do you really want to do that? Would it make you feel better to give up? No, it wouldn’t. You would end up feeling worse. Trust me, you don’t want to feel worse. You want to feel better.
So how are you going to feel better? Make a list of ideas (brainstorm) you haven’t tried, and try them. You can also employ the assistance of others. Most people love to help. If it is something you really want bad enough, no amount of discouragement will bring you down or make you quit. Very few people get what they strive for over night. They have to work for it through blood, sweat, and tears. They keep trying, Eventually, they find what works for THEM. Keep in mind also, what works for others might not work for you.
When I was writing my first novel, there were times I gave up. BUT, later I went back to it because I wanted it bad enough. I am so glad I did.
What keeps you motivated to continue writing? There are many motivators, but what I am focusing on at the moment are your fans. I don’t merely mean readers. I mean true blue, unadulterated fans. Those individuals who love your work. They love it so much they will come back for more. They throw complements at you telling you they LOVE your stories and to PLEASE write more. They chomp at the bit waiting.
What this does is feed your mind and continues to sprinkle a positive light on it. We all love complements, don’t we? So use this to make your writing better. And as you’re writing, you’ll be focused on how can I make this even better?
In a nutshell, your fans keep you on your toes, and they make you a better writer.
Let’s all take a step back and pray for everyone around the world. Whether they are sick with the Coronavirus or with another virus, disease or sickness, everyone needs prayers. Our Lord Jesus Christ watches out for us all. We are in His hands, He is trustworthy and true.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Bless everyone everywhere. Give them strength to get through this difficult time and heal their ills, wounds, and sicknesses. Keep them in Your tender care and shield them from all evil.
Staying motivated is hard work. Why is it so hard? Well, I think it’s different for everyone depending on their situation. The road is long, there will be hills to traverse, an unknowing rut will surprise you, making you trip and fall, but it’s how you work around these setbacks that is key. I put down my manuscript more times than I can count. One of the biggest reasons for this was largely due to losing part of my manuscript when I went from my desktop to a new laptop. My desktop bit the dust. In transferring my book, half of it got deleted somehow. I had done so much work on it too. So I put it down and was resigned to give up on it.
After this happened, I went to work the next day and told a colleague what had happened. He had been following my success thus far and felt bad for what happened. When I told him I was giving up on the whole project, he said, “You’ll finish it one day.” I said, “No I won’t. I’m done.” He said, “No, you’ll finish. I have faith in you.” I’m glad he had that faith in me because what he said stuck with me in the months that followed. Roughly a year later, I picked up my laptop and went back to it. The result was an even better story. I also kept an extra copy of everything I wrote from that point forward.
Another roadblock was not knowing the three act structure for writing a novel. I had to learn this or I was getting no where. Before I knew this structure, I got stuck so many times and had writers block. There was no direction, no map telling me what type of information went where. As a result, I would stop writing. Frustrating, I know.
Don’t let life and situations pull you down or make you quit. Keep going. If something crosses your path and slows you down, come up with a way to get around it. If you lose your work, start over. It will be that much better. Keep information in a writer’s binder and/or a journal, so you can reference it just in case. Back up your information on the Cloud AND on an external drive (multiple places). Continue to learn. Even though you may know how to write a novel, you can always learn something more. Above all else. KEEP AT IT. DON’T STOP.
WRITE TIME AND AGAIN 