Do you ever want to just stop writing for a while? I’m at that point right now. I’m not working on my book, as I just finished what I consider to be a really good first draft, and I’ve stepped away from it until the beginning of the year.

What I am doing is my blog. It only requires me to write a couple pages twice a week, which isn’t that much writing, but I’m still struggling.

Maybe it’s the season and all of the distractions that are going on around me. Maybe it was a mistake to pull away so drastically from my writing regime. It seems like the longer I put off writing, the harder it’s becoming. Truth be known I wrote almost daily over the last year and did countless critiques of other peoples work. Once I finished my draft, I almost completely shut down that part of my life to take a breath.

Maybe all those tips about writing everyday and setting quotas was right. Not to say that you can’t take time off to enjoy a special evening or life, but you have to stay motivated or you will lose the desire, momentum, will to write.

So I find myself going through articles on how to motivate yourself to write. Not sure why, I already know most of the tips by heart. Hoping to find something new, a magic pill maybe.  Well If there is one, I haven’t found it. So I guess I just have to fall back on the tried and true.

• Make a date with yourself to show up and write on a regular basis. It doesn’t have to be great-you just need to write.
• Choose the time of day that works best for you. In the morning after that first cup of coffee works best for me.
• Share your goals and dreams with family and friends. They will ask how it’s going and keep you in line.
• Cut off all electronics. This one is a given and to be honest, I have allowed myself to get sucked back into Facebook and other social media outlets over the last month. They are mind numbing and can take precious time away from what is important. If you use them to communicate with family in other states, like myself, you need to schedule in time and watch the clock.
• Set a daily quota. To be honest I’ve never done that one. I do set a weekly quota. It allows me time for life to happen and is more realistic. Point is you need a goal, something to work towards to keep you moving.
• Record and keep up with your word count. It will serve as a timesheet and a reward system to praise yourself.
• Allow yourself to write badly. At least for early drafts be gentle on yourself. If you stop to judge, edit, delete and rewrite, you will be spending all your time playing reader or critic, not writer.

Have a great weekend and don’t stop writing 🙂

-Jan R