Being a writer is a very fulfilling job. But as great a job as it is, there will be times that your skills will be tested. There will also be times, where your motivation to write will start to flag, and you just lose any desire to write.
This is a very common thing for writers of course. Every writer has their own insecurities and every writer has their own challenges to face. And this loss of motivation could be due to a bad review, a harsh criticism from a fellow author or any number of other reasons. But these feelings of self-doubt are passing and can be overcome with the right mindset and strategies.
Here are 5 great tips on how to get your writing motivation back:
- Accept and learn from your flaws as a writer
No one’s perfect. It’s a fact of life, and it is something that you should always remember during the writing process. Every writer has flaws and every writer deals with these flaws in their own unique way.
So if you are feeling let down, because you got a bad review or can’t seem to find a publishing house for your manuscript then just remember that no one is perfect. What matters is that you acknowledge your flaws as a writer and have the initiative to try to fix these flaws.
- Look back on your past works
Aside from accepting your flaws as a writer, it is always a good idea to look back on your past works. If you have a whole cabinet full of old poems and short stories, take them out and read them. Look at your work and make a mental note of the good and bad points of your writing.
Try to take note of the aspects of your work where you have improved through the years. By doing so, you can see how far you have gone as a writer, and that you can achieve even greater things if you put in the time.
- Talk to someone about it
As it was stated earlier, writers can be quite insecure with their work. And this insecurity can lead to feelings of self-doubt and a loss of motivation to write. So if you are feeling insecure of your skills or struggling with doubts on your abilities, don’t keep it to yourself.
Instead, you should try to talk to someone about your feelings. It would even be better if you can talk to a fellow writer about your problems. This is because, a fellow writer would fully know how you are feeling.
A fellow writer would also know how hard the writing process can be and fully empathize with you. Even better, a fellow writer can give you great advice on how to effectively face your doubts as a writer.
- Join a writing community
Aside from telling a friend about your struggles, one great way to increase your writing motivation is to join a writing community. By joining a writing community, you can be exposed to a myriad of great writing advice, and forge friendships with fellow writers at the same time.
There are a multitude of online writing communities out there, so you have a lot of great options. You can also create a writing community in your own neighborhood. All in all, what’s important is that you join a writing community and get the support you need to continue writing.
- Change your mindset
The writing process, is a hard and intense one. And whether you are writing a book or just writing a short story, you will still have your fair share of challenges. What’s important is that you have the right mindset.
You can have all the advice in the world, but if you have the wrong mindset, then you will always struggle in getting motivated. So before you even think of writing a book, you should change your mindset. You should not look at the writing process as something that you can finish in just a few months.
Instead, you should look at the writing process as a journey. Think of it as a lifestyle. Think of it as something that you will do for the rest of your life. Only by changing your mindset, can you truly stay motivated and reach your true potential as a writer.