Friday, April 15, 2016

M is for Motivation and Celebrate the Small Things-April 15, 2016

This year for the A-Z Challenge, I'm attempting to act like I know what I'm talking about and offering advice about writing.  Let's see how I do!

Also, don't forget to stop by the Parallels blog to see more posts about the upcoming anthology, which will be available on May 3rd!  Today's post is another one of mine, and I hope you enjoy it!

Please consider supporting our Thunderclap campaign!



Writers have good and bad days.  Sometimes we’re so motivated that we manage to accomplish what we set out to do and then a few other things on top of that.  Then there are days when we keep thinking of other things to do instead of tackling the writing that needs to be done.  When we lack the motivation, the words won’t come.  We keep thinking of excuses.

There are a lot of things that can contribute to a lack of motivation.  Exhaustion.  Worrying about other things in our lives.  The internet.  This last one is a big one.  While the internet can be one of our greatest assets as writers, it can also be one of our biggest foes.

Here are some tips for getting yourself motivated!

1. Set small goals.  Something too large can scare you away when you’re lacking in energy.
2. Turn off any distractions if possible.
3. Decide on a reward for yourself if you accomplish a given task.
4. Set aside previous setbacks.  Dwelling on a setback can make you feel defeated when you need to feel strong.
5. Remember that your writing doesn’t need to come out perfect the first time.  Just write!

And remember this!






It's Friday! Let's Celebrate the Small Things with Lexa Cain! Tonja Drecker and I are her co-hosts.

As you can see from the top of this post, the IWSG anthology has a Thunderclap campaign going, and it's off to a great start! Anyone who can join in and help spread the word would be greatly appreciated.  We need 100 supporters by May 3rd (which also happens to be release day).

We had another round of illness sweep through our house this week.  Kids are germ magnets.  Everyone is getting better now, but I absolutely cannot wait for summer.

Speaking of summer, I signed my kids up for T-ball again. They loved it so much last year, and they're looking forward to doing it again.

I'm almost done with the rough draft of my WIP, which is pretty exciting.  No matter what else has been happening, I've managed to write at least a little bit of it every day.  I'm pretty proud of myself for that, especially with the way this last week has been.

What would you like to celebrate?



9 comments:

  1. I need some motivation to write the posts for next week.. Feeling the pressure. Going to use your tips!
    Thanks,
    Seena
    #AtoZChallenge- M is for Mischief

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  2. Excellent motivation tips and well done for writing every day, no matter what! And I agree, bring on the summer. I'm tired of the rain and snow!


    shahwharton.com

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  3. Those are all great tips! Sorry to hear about the sickness, but glad everyone's getting better. I second your wish for summer. It would be so nice if it would just warm up a little. Kudos to you on your writing progress! Hope your kids have fun with the T-ball!

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  4. Great tips! Motivation can always be a hard one to keep going.

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  5. You should pat yourself on the back. Congratulations, I've failed to work on my WIP everyday. Bad, bad girl. :)

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  6. Great tips! I have such a hard time with motivation.

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  7. Great tips. Even good things can get in the way of the flow.
    Ive had to turn most of my creative energy off (I am doing a major remodel on my house).The A to Z has given me an outlet this month. Best of luck with your WIP and stay well.

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  8. Glad everyone is on the mend, and congrats on getting work done despite all the distractions!

    Also, great tips! :)

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  9. Signing up for Thunderclap right now. And yay to geting writing done. Have fun a T-ball (sounds like a super balancer for writing!) And great tips for motivation...heaven knows tips are always good in that area.

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