Motivation

[hlywkar]

What do you do for motivation to keep writing?

If you hit a snag. or have to go back. Or your characters are flat, but you love them so much. etc etc.

[j. d. worthington]

Myself, I "jump tracks" and work on something else for a while -- another story, an essay, a bit of verse, random thoughts, story idea entries, etc. Or I pick up a book I know tends to rejuvenate my excitement about writing, or which tends to teach me more about the craft each time I read it. Often, by doing these things, I find that I not only feel reinvigorated when I go back to the piece I'd stalled on, but in the meantime I've also either begun or completed something else I can be proud of, as well, or (in the case of jotting down story ideas) I have various scenarios playing over in my head as I begin to formulate what to do with these, giving me something fresh and exciting to look forward to....

[Precise Calibre]

A lot of deep thinking right before I fall asleep. Sometimes this causes my dreams help me to shape a world that I am failing to bring into focus.

Like j.d. said, jump tracks, switch it up, move on to something else. You may not get anything done in this new venture necessarily, but you might find inspiration for your main project.

Take a long walk. I find that taking a walk with no distractions helps me gather my thoughts and shape my ideas.

If you are having problems with your characters, try writing new short stories with them involved. Give them new challenges and try to write their actions in a way that you'd see them behaving. Write biographies for your characters - they don't have to be long sprawling affairs from birth to death, but putting down their characteristics on paper can help you better envision who they are.

[Ursa major]

Originally Posted by Precise Calibre

If you are having problems with your characters, try writing new short stories with them involved. Give them new challenges and try to write their actions in a way that you'd see them behaving.

And with this suggestion, there is always the possibility that your better efforts could find there way back into your book or its sequel(s), so you could benefit two times over.

[CharleneHaines]

I do a lot of my thinking while driving, and I've managed to come up with a lot of ideas this way.

However... the ever-dreaded writer's block sets in, and I am back to square one. Especially when writing a series... The first book is done, but it's been hard to delve into the second.

When I hit a snag, I re-read the first book again... and sometimes ideas will appear. The motivation to keep writing, (for me), comes from people who have read my book... and want to know about the continuing story.

(If I am writing a single book)... What I do is this: I do not stop. If I have the motivation to write, then I roll with it. There were days when I sat at the computer for 15 hours. I guess it's the fear of writer's block, or losing my train of thought.

But, when the idea is there, go with it. Turn the phone off... play some good music... make sure you have fluids (water, tea... whatever calls to you), and dig in.

[Purdy Bear]

I take a rest and do something else, like eatting (I can't write when hungry). I have also got a lot of books planned so I just work out the plot line for something else.

I find it's a good idea to know when your most creatively minded; for myself, I find first thing in the morning, or last thing at night. I also stick to the same writing hours each day, so your mind just knows it's going to have to get with it.

One guy on tv said, "write for the waste basket", which I have found to be a great help.

If all else fails, I put on the sound track from one of the Harry Potter movies, and that does it every time.

[chopper]

or the LOTR soundtracks, which do the same for me.

[alternicity]

What do you do for motivation to keep writing?

Pause, and make my reading for pleasure time double as research. At the moment I am reading a dusty old book of plays by a guy called Chekhov, and one about trickery in WWII. Hopefully one or both will give me fresh inspiration, or a cool idea. (This instead of enjoying the latests Reynolds novel)

Also, as I am educating my kids to read and write, I pick up way cool stuff from that, which can be of use to my sf writing. At the moment we are studying Ancient Rome, which can lead to all kinds of things. Check this out:

YouTube - Infamous meeting between Atia and Livia

That is inspirational to me at the moment.

It's also important to me that I can put writing on the back burner, when it isn't flowing well, and not beat myself up about it.