Stay Calm and Be Motivated

Staying motivated as a writer can be decidedly difficult. Writer's block, plot bunnies, and real life all tend to make our best laid plans go right down the tubes. With all of the natural pitfalls that come with writing it's really no wonder that it can be hard to stay calm and stay motivated.

Personally, I find that I really have to push myself on some days to write. The writing isn't always award winning (more like rubbish) but at least I am writing. I'm a little ADD when it comes to writing anyways so I try to write what I'm driven to write on a particular day. I have no less than three separate stories that I'm working on plus three blogs to maintain. They are all quite different from each other so in that way I'm providing myself with options. Options are good, at least for me, when I'm finding myself low on motivation. I find motivation can also be given. Not so much by pep talks and such but more through the interaction with other writers.

I find my most productive months to be be during NaNoWriMo and the various camp sessions. Why? Partially it's because I know that so many others are trying to accomplish the same thing. The word counters help and for me it makes it a bit of a competition. (That's not always a bad thing.) Also during those times I have been able to just shut off my inner editor. I can't always do that when I know that I don't have as strict a deadline during the other months of the year. Odd isn't it? In any case during those months not only have I been able to reach my target word count goals (usually 50K) but I also manage to keep up with my blogs and such as well. I have to admit to being rather impressed with myself. At the end of the month I look back and feel very accomplished. The problem of course is to continue that motivation throughout the year.

I have few tricks try to keep myself motivated. They don't always work but at least I have some recourse on those days when I feel like my motivation is particularly lacking. My tricks?

1. Make sure I'm listening to the right music. Yep, this is important. Music to slow will make me sleepy and disinterested. That's what I've found. Music that's too fast and racuous and I'll be driven to distraction. My usual listening preferences are big band swing type stuff or upbeat Celtic music. Occasionally I'll listen to my guilty pleasure - a mix of Phil Collins, Sting, David Bowie, etc.
2. Have a plot point or "candy bar" scene that I want to write. I have to have a goal or point to work to. I need to know where I am and where I next need to be. I'm a "pantser" (meaning I don't plan much if at all) but I do like to have a few key scenes in my head to write about. Scenes that I know need to happen in order for my story to progress. Keeping these in mind I can be quite productive, usually. 
3. Review my character and location sketches. A lot of times just going over my character and place notes give me ideas for new scenes and interactions. New ideas are always a great source of motivation for me.
4. When all else fails - I watch my pets and son. Sounds crazy right? It's really not. Some of the best character traits I've developed have come from watching my family. Some of the situations that they get themselves into and some of the things that a  three year old says are just so extraordinary that it sparks something in my brain and puts motivation in me like nothing else.

My tricks aren't anything special or spectacular but they are things that work well for me. I usually add a good beverage (iced chai, hot tea, hot cocoa) and a tasty treat (usually something sweet) to fuel my brain as well. Having motivation is important but being able to motivate yourself is just as important, if not more so. My advice to writers who feel particularly unmotivated is to sit and try out different tricks. Find things that motivate you and always make time to write! You never know, a bad day of no motivation may have you crank out your best scene yet!