We all have personal motivators when it comes to writing. Things that help us to keep moving forward. Things that make us WANT to move forward.
For me, the best motivator is the story itself. There are some parts of the book that just have me chomping at the bit to keep going. But alas, this in-love-with-the-story thing splutters to a halt for me in the middle of my WIP, and just after the black moment. Yes, I have now completed enough books to see the pattern. And in fact, my current after-the-black moment is really only the first black moment, and there is another one to come, so I can steel myself for another doldrums after my current one.
Lucky for me, I have another motivator. One whose beautiful motivating powers do not wane. Ah, the beauty, the joy, of graphs. That little line creeping along its path with 73.32% just below it. I am a slave to its demands. I am compelled to move that sucker along. Even if it just moves a tiny fraction during the day, I can go to bed with an (almost) clear conscience.
I find myself thinking, I wonder how many pages I’ll have to write to get to 75%. Then I work it out. Then I try and do it. As the other bloggers on the MM team will tell you, I’m a stat junkie. Hey, whatever works, right?
What are your personal motivators?
The end of the school year.
LOLOL, Therese. My kids are still in playschool, so there is no real start and finish to the year yet. But I can imagine that would be a pretty strong motivator
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I know what you mean, Michelle, about losing steam. My third ms hummed along, and suddenly, I got sick of looking at it. The only thing that kept me moving along was constantly telling myself that the characters deserved an outcome.
I’m now revising that one, and the motivation is waning. I also have a WIP that I haven’t touched since January – it’s in its own personal limbo.
If anyone has any suggestions on how to overcome the slump, I’d love to hear.
Michelle, my personal motivator is the little voice inside that gets quite loud of I spend too much time away from my office. It niggles, doesn’t let me get away with too much.
I used to be able to tune it out, but the longer I work with it, the stronger it gets. Good, I say! It’s like a built-in GPS system.
I love to set page goals. I haven’t been meeting them lately, but this week I will. That means I have to write my fanny off today.
Good going on your progress, Michelle! You’ve been so steady with this, your fastest yet, I think.
Cathy, some good advice I follow, is that when you are writing well, you should associate something with that creativity. I like the idea of scent, so when I’m in the zone, I rub a nice smelling lotion on my arms. Then, theoretically, if you’re in a slump, and you put that same lotion on (or light a candle with the same smell, or listen to the same music, or whatever you choose to associate ‘the zone’ with) your mind remembers what it should be doing, and your creativity kicks in.
Glad you pay attention to the little voice, LaDonna
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Thanks, Edie. Yes, 4 months from start to (hopefully) finish. And that includes the research I did.
Sadly, it’s usually money, LOL. Sex scenes can get me through slow-downs; they’re fun to write!
I like the little word-meter, too.
Wanting to be done is my motivator. Too simplistic, huh?
Money works, Spy, LOLOL.
I’d say the simpler, the better, Jody. And whatever works.
Heh, heh, heh. I like the carrot. Let’s see … my motivation. GUILT! I get subs from you and Edie and feel like I should be my ass in gear and sub something! ANYTHING! To show that I’m still writing.
Plus, like LaDonna, I get antsy if I’m not doing something, even if its just revisions or reading over what I’d previously written. That itchy, between the shoulder blades sorta of antsy feeling.
Glad I have a part in getting your AITC, Liz
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And I know that uncomforable, guilty feeling only too well.
Like you, Michelle, the story in of itself is usually my biggest motivator. Well, that and that deadline looming.
Karin, when I’m published, I’m sure a deadline would be a sufficient motivator for me as well. Have to get that work out on time
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Bribery.
I have to pick something that I would never allow myself to have or to do otherwise, and that’s my reward. It doesn’t even have to be expensive, just something I’d feel guilty about buying or doing for no reason at all.
Eh, bribery never works for me, Lynne. I tend to indulge despite the fact that I don’t do my pages. Whether its a treat or a chapter in a book I’ve been waiting to read … doesn’t matter. I’m all about instant gratification. LOL.
LOL, Lynne. Like Liz, I somehow find a way to justify it even if I didn’t do the pages to earn it.
Michelle,
I thought I answered this, but I don’t see my answer anywhere, so it must have just been in my mind…:lol:
Which perhaps I am losing.
Anyhoo–
My biggest motivator is watching those pages pile up. I print off each chapter after I finish working on it and neatly stack it in a rack to the right of my printer. I love watching that stack of papers climb higher and higher. It’s an actual visual indicator of all my hard work. I can look at it and see, yep, I am a writer.
I love those little bar graph thingies too. They’re another visual indication of all you’re hard work. But I only get to see those when I turn on the computer. I can see the stack of papers anytime I walk in a room!!
Plus– all that paper impressess people. They’ll say– “wow, is that your book. I didn’t realize it was so big. . .And I’ll say” Oh no, that’s only the first half, I still have another 50k words, or 200 pages” and then I’ll watch their eyes get all big and impressed. It gives me a little thrill of pride.
Which usually lasts until I start worrying that the pile is climbing TOO high, and I’m going to have another 200k mammoth on my hands….