(Reflect, Reconnect, Compassion, Techniques, Support)
Today, I want to talk about what happens when your writing motivation suddenly slips away, especially when working on a long piece of writing like a novel or feature film. It’s horrible! But what if you could get it back with a few simple mindset shifts?
Here’s what’s working for me.
I’m developing ‘a bible’ for a children’s animation series. I’d been making good progress but started to stall. This went on for weeks, then months. In my head, I’d say to myself, “I have a lot going on, I don’t have time for writing”. So, my animation series kept ending up at the bottom of my To-Do list. But was there anything I could do to get my writing motivation back? I didn’t think so. But it turned out, I was wrong!
Drawing inspiration from a recent meditation activity on the Headspace app I used these questions and strategies to get back on track.
The process goes like this:
Reflect, Reconnect, Compassion, Techniques, Support
1. Reflect on your feelings:
- What feeling am I avoiding?
- Why am I avoiding it?
- Can I sit with it without judgment?
- How can I reward myself for pushing through?
When I did this exercise, I realised a couple of things. I was trying to avoid feelings of fear.
What if nobody wants my series? What if it isn’t good enough? What if I get rejected? If I never get around to writing it, I won’t have to face that fear. But equally, I’ll never know if it was good enough.
Secondly, I realised I didn’t know how to write the bit I was working on. At least not yet. And so I was stuck. (This is helpful information. When you know you’re stuck, you know what you need to work on).
2. Reconnect with your purpose:
- Why did I start this project in the first place?
- What inspired me to write it?
- Remembering my ‘why’ can reignite my passion.
When I stopped to think about it, it was easy for me to remember why I started this project. I love writing children’s animation. I have an idea that I think is really powerful. The topic relates to my own family life – so I have a personal connection to it. And I’m not writing anything else, so I have time (even if I think I don’t!)
3. Show yourself some self-compassion:
- Treat myself like a friend, not a harsh critic.
- Be gentle and patient. Not every day will be perfect but keep returning to my work.
- Try a self-compassion meditation.
I love doing self-compassion meditations, but I don’t always remember to do them when I’m stressed. Kristin Neff has some great free guided meditations here. If you want to know more about self-compassion, read one of my previous articles, such as this one.
A mantra can be a powerful tool to remind yourself of your goals and boost your motivation. Here are some you might like to use:
- “I’ve come this far, and I know I can finish strong.”
- “I acknowledge my feelings, but they don’t control my creativity.”
- “Even if I don’t have the answers today, I’m making progress by staying with it.”
If one of these resonates, write it on a card and stick it on the wall near your desk. Repeat it when you notice yourself resisting writing.
4. Use practical techniques:
- Remember the Pomodoro Technique by setting a small, manageable task.
- Create a simple to-do list outlining my next steps, especially if I’m unsure where to start.
The thing I couldn’t figure out in my development process was how to bring together a fantastical character with a real-world character. So the whole project stalled, with me endlessly working on the character bios but never actually getting to the end. After answering these questions, I knew I had to write something, just to move the project forward.
So that’s what I did a couple of weeks ago. I logged into my Silent Scribes session and wrote for 60-minutes, giving myself the end of the session as my deadline to finish the character bios. And it worked! I finished them (and I’m thrilled with them) and I finally moved onto the next section!
5. Seek support:
- Join a writers’ group, such as my free London Writers’ Meetup (they take place online the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 7:30pm GMT)
- Come to one of my Silent Scribes sessions; we’ll write together and all benefit from a bit of group accountability.
- Invest in yourself with some 1:1 support from a writing coach like me! (Remember, your craft is important and you’re worth investing money in.)
I hope these tips help you push through your flagging motivation.
Which strategy are you going to try first? Send me a message to let me know…I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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And finally, if you’re tempted to get some 1:1 coaching with me, don’t forget you can book a free discovery call to meet me and find out if we’d be a good fit.