It's no easy task to write a book, otherwise everyone would do it. It's even more difficult when there is no prospect of getting a reward, as is the case for many first-time authors.
We'll go through some of the most effective methods for keeping yourself motivated to finish your next book in this blog!
If you're writing a non-fiction book, you'll need some method for gathering feedback on your concepts from the outside world. It's really useful for writers to publish their work on their own blog and across different platforms.
If you don't have a blog (or podcast, or social media following), there are plenty of other ways to obtain input. Perhaps you're a teacher or an academic who can experiment with your ideas on pupils and coworkers.
Getting feedback is also a source of pleasure in and of itself. I do think it's valuable to keep the extrinsic reward-seeking portion of the brain satisfied to soothe the frantic feeling that comes with working mostly alone.
Tell others about your book and it could keep you motivated to continue writing. Your closest friends are likely to check in and ask how things are going for you. It's good to have accountability.
Just don't announce your book on social media. According to research, the more we talk about what we're going to do, the less likely we are to follow through.
Try to have fun writing your book, regardless of how long it takes. This suggestion is especially useful for those who are more extroverted and anybody who doesn't like working slowly and meticulously.
To be happy with your own accomplishments, condition yourself to appreciate the feeling of joy you get from working alone and quietly.
It might take anything from months to years to complete a book. There will undoubtedly be times when you can't do everything you wish. Many writers have experienced occasions where they must turn down certain things they would want to do, such as holidays with their family or activities with their friends. The sense of sacrifice though should incentivize a writer to finish what they are working on.
It is difficult to maintain your moral compass when the world is always offering its own definition of what should be important to you. Don't be dissuaded by other people's viewpoints.
Remind yourself of your goals and the importance of your book to you and the world.
This message isn't new, but it's worth repeating! Don't make your career dependent on the elusive creative mood. Your novel won't be written if you do this.
Regardless of whether you believe you create higher quality writing while inspired, you'd rather do something of lesser quality than nothing at all. Plus, you can always go back and make edits when you feel inspired!
Keep showing up and writing away.
If you find yourself working on a book or novel for an excess of months - or even years - it may be time to set a deadline for yourself. Setting deadlines is a common technique to encourage yourself to complete your work faster.
Stick to a writing schedule. Know in advance when you'll be working on your book. Don't feel like you need to be working on it all day! Spend the rest of your time productively, using activities that help you write well.
It's possible that you'll be more successful if you create small goals. For example, write a chapter each month, or aim for a certain number of pages each week.
If you're creating a lot, you'll need to feed on information in order to produce. In order to create fresh ideas, you must have fresh input. Listening to podcasts while out and about can be super helpful as well!
We hope that these suggestions will help anybody who is about to undertake the enormous effort of writing a book or novel. Just as Elon Musk says, "“If something is important enough, you should try — even if the probable outcome is failure."
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