Motivation

There are as many ways to motivate yourself as there are writers, artists, or other types of people in various field of creativity. I think the biggest form is self-motivation. That's where you have this inner voice that compels you to do things. I have that for my writing. Of course, it isn't always turned on.

So, what do I use to motivate myself when I'm not using self-motivation?

Have a seat and I'll tell you.

• You can actually "assign" people for this task. Call it silly if you want, but it can actually work. Ask your friends or family to give you a hand. They can give you a call or text you and say things like, "hey, shouldn't you be writing?" or "let me come over and watch your kids so you can write." Other writers work for this task as well. You can belong to a group where you motivate each other, keeping each other on track for word count or writing time. This is something you should do ahead of time, asking these people to check in occasionally. Choose people who will actually help and want to help.

• Forms of self-motivation. Let's face it, no one actually cares if you write or not. You are the only one who will put your butt in the seat to write. But it doesn't have to be hopeless. Setting alarms with the title "time to go write" and schedule those times for days and times that you pre-schedule for your writing. You can set alarms at any time that is ahead of time, to remind yourself that things need to be done. Post-it notes works wonders for EVERYTHING so take advantage of them. Leave a note to remind yourself that you need to write, have a word count goal or a time limit goal. Keep a mental note that drives you to keep writing.

• Rewards are awesome. When you reach smaller goals, you can reward yourself. The bigger the goal, the bigger the award. And don't forget to reward yourself when you finish that book! That's an awsome motivator right there!! And that's actually a big deal. Don't set goals that are too huge that you can't achieve them, make several smaller goals. So, let's say you want to write a 40-chapter book. You already have the outline written so you know exactly what you're going to write. Break it down. Goal #1, finish chapter 1 by such and such date. Reward when finished. Goal #2, finish chapter 2 by the next date. New reward. Or goal #1, write so many words. Reward. Etc, etc. Rewards can be like a special treat, or movie. You can also treat yourself to things you like, like an article of clothing. By the time you've finished the book, you have a whole new outfit for that book signing you want to have.

• Other ways to find motivation... Look through magazines. Cut things out and make a special board. At the top of the board, write "This CAN be YOU" in big letters. Include all the things you want to achieve. Find someone holding their book in their hands or someone famous you idolize. Get a picture of a book contract if that's your goal. Seeing those reminders can help motivate you.

Okay, so for me self-motivation is the biggest tool I use. I stive to have a lot of published books like Stephen King and Dead Koontz. I want a big following. The only way to do that is to keep writing and publishing those books. Wanting it is enough for me, it drives me to move forward. I'm not always in the mood to write, but I still write because I know it's the only way its going to get done. I keep my work where I have easy access to it. My files are all named so I can easily find them when I need them. And I have a screen saver on my laptop with all my book covers with the date I plan to release them. My goals are smaller so I know I can reach them. And my reward is simple--just finishing each book feels like a reward in itself! And getting compliments about them totally helps!! The people who live around me, praise me for what I've accomplished. Hearing how much people are proud of it, really keeps my eyes on the prize--that finished book. That motivates me. Knowing that I'm the only one in my family who chased after a dream and made it happen, motivates me. Knowing that I'm actually good at something, motivates me. Seeing people enjoy something I've written, motivates me. One of my biggest fans has bragged about me daily--that motivates me. I've had to repurchase a few of my books because of that one person lol. And my husband tells me how much that person loves my books. That makes me want to write even more! Guess what, that motivates me too!

How do you motivate yourself?