Hello there, inklings!

I hope this blog post finds you well and bursting with writing motivation!

What’s that you say? Your motivation isn’t bursting as much as it is gradually imploding?

Not to worry! Author Samantha House is here to encourage all of us writers who don’t always find it easy to sit down, zone out, and type happily away for hours. I know you’ll find her tips practical, insightful, and inspiring!

Be sure to visit her Instagram and say hello – it’s chock-full of writerly goodness!

Without further ado, here’s Samantha!

 

 

When you start writing with the intent to be published, it can be very hard to stay motivated. Giving up is one of the easiest things in the world to do, after all you don’t have a publishing contract and there is no one breathing down your neck with a deadline, demanding to see what you have written.

There is also the fact that you don’t really know if what you’re writing is any good. It can be utterly demoralising to share part of your masterpiece and have it rejected. Remember, writing is a mind game and you have to battle with yourself a large part of the time to get it done. But you know what? If you have that burning desire to write, do it.

But how do you deal with this on a practical level and finish that novel? Well everyone is different, but this is how I cope with it.

 

 

1. Give yourself deadlines. If you have trouble staying accountable to yourself, tell someone else what your deadline is and have them check up on you. You’ll sort out real quick whether or not you’re serious about finishing that book.
2. Celebrate the small stuff. You finished writing a chapter, let people know. Same if you figure out a plot point that had you stumped for a while. Twitter is awesome for this and the writing community on there is very supportive. Immerse yourself in it and don’t forget to be supportive back, it is a two-way street after all.
3. Alternatively, join a writing group. I personally have not done this, but I know many writers who have and they all enjoy it considerably. It’s a ready-built support network, ready to cheer you on when you can’t do it for yourself.
4. Remember you’re a beginner and that everyone started as one. Yes, some people have natural talent, but talent doesn’t get you anywhere if you aren’t willing to learn your craft.
5. Understand there will be times you want to give up. It’s normal. Go do something else for a day/weekend and come back to it refreshed.
6. If your work is rejected, ask for feedback so you can improve it. Treat it as the learning experience it is and move on.
7. Have fun with it. Some of the things I’ve had to research in the name of writing have been rather, enlightening, shall we say. Laugh about it and share it with the people in your life. Everyone deserves a bit of laughter.
8. Share your journey. Writing a novel is a long adventure, one that usually takes much longer than you imagined when first starting out. Sharing it with other people is a way to stay motivated, mainly because they constantly ask how it is going, but also because they’re people you can bounce ideas off.
9. No one else can do it for you. Remember when you want to give up that you are the only one who knows this story and are the only one who can tell it.

 

I hope this helps and please, finish that novel, no matter how long it takes you. That story in your head may one day mean everything to someone else and it would be a shame to deprive them of that experience.

 

Author Bio

Samantha hails from Australia and writes fantasy stories although she has been known to write the odd short story romance. With one manuscript in the final editing stages and another one half completed, when she’s not writing you can find her running around with her four children or reading wrapped up in a cosy blanket.

Alternatively you can catch up with her on her blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.