Finishing an entire novel is a daunting task! It can be stressful, frustrating or you just might find other things arise in your life that take time away from your writing.
But you should never let any of that deter you from ultimately finishing your book!
That being said, here are:
But you should never let any of that deter you from ultimately finishing your book!
That being said, here are:
1. Set Goals
Nobody wants to work without at least setting some goals. It's like running a marathon without a finish line.
You need figure out what you WANT to achieve. Where do you see yourself in the next few months? 5 years? 10 years??
And don't just call these goals out in your head but physically write them down. By writing them down you'll find these goals are more tangible, and you'll not only be reminded every time you look at your goal list, but you'll feel compelled to just check them off already.
Believe me, there is nothing more satisfying than checking off a goal.
Also be sure to make your writing goals SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Bound. For example, don't set a goal of 100 pages by the end of the week. It's just too much pressure. On the contrary, don't set a goal of 100 pages without giving an actual time-frame. There will be no motivation to actually write the 100 pages, because there will be no finish line to aim for.
You need figure out what you WANT to achieve. Where do you see yourself in the next few months? 5 years? 10 years??
And don't just call these goals out in your head but physically write them down. By writing them down you'll find these goals are more tangible, and you'll not only be reminded every time you look at your goal list, but you'll feel compelled to just check them off already.
Believe me, there is nothing more satisfying than checking off a goal.
Also be sure to make your writing goals SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Bound. For example, don't set a goal of 100 pages by the end of the week. It's just too much pressure. On the contrary, don't set a goal of 100 pages without giving an actual time-frame. There will be no motivation to actually write the 100 pages, because there will be no finish line to aim for.
2. Hold Yourself Accountable
Goals are great and all, but there really is no point in setting them without having consequences. If you can't complete them, you need to hold yourself accountable - otherwise your goals won't really be goals but just dreams.
And if you find you can't hold yourself accountable, find another friend who is also into writing and become accountability buddies. This means you hold each other accountable if you can't meet your personal deadlines, and make sure each other's consequences are followed through with.
One example I personally use is I take out a hundred dollars and I give it to a friend. Then I bet them I can't write a hundred quality pages by the end of the month. If I lose the bet, they keep the money . . . Fortunately this has worked every time I've done it.
Consequently, you should also remember to reward yourself every time you do meet a deadline. This will give you something positive to fight and aim for when you don't feel like working, and will reinforce the desire to actually meet your goals.
And if you find you can't hold yourself accountable, find another friend who is also into writing and become accountability buddies. This means you hold each other accountable if you can't meet your personal deadlines, and make sure each other's consequences are followed through with.
One example I personally use is I take out a hundred dollars and I give it to a friend. Then I bet them I can't write a hundred quality pages by the end of the month. If I lose the bet, they keep the money . . . Fortunately this has worked every time I've done it.
Consequently, you should also remember to reward yourself every time you do meet a deadline. This will give you something positive to fight and aim for when you don't feel like working, and will reinforce the desire to actually meet your goals.
3. Visualize Your Success
By this I don't just mean visualizing a finished book. Of course that's a huge accomplishment and absolutely amazing, but if you want to stay motivated I find you need to have something greater that you write for.
Maybe, if you hope to write for a living, you imagine a house you want to buy, or a vacation you want to take with a loved one. Maybe, something even greater, you imagine an engagement ring you want to be able to afford.
And I'm not saying it should all be about money and vacations, because it's not. Just the idea of other people reading your story and becoming inspired is more than enough! You just need to keep this visualization in mind.
I guess what I'm trying to say is the book you're writing should be MORE than a book. On a monetary level AND on how your story brings joy, happiness and entertainment to your readers.
So dig deep. Find these reasons. And GO for it!
Maybe, if you hope to write for a living, you imagine a house you want to buy, or a vacation you want to take with a loved one. Maybe, something even greater, you imagine an engagement ring you want to be able to afford.
And I'm not saying it should all be about money and vacations, because it's not. Just the idea of other people reading your story and becoming inspired is more than enough! You just need to keep this visualization in mind.
I guess what I'm trying to say is the book you're writing should be MORE than a book. On a monetary level AND on how your story brings joy, happiness and entertainment to your readers.
So dig deep. Find these reasons. And GO for it!
4. Get Into The Habit
While it sounds tough, maintaining good habits isn't too hard. It's all just about keeping a schedule - and sometimes erasing unnecessary stuff from that schedule!
For me, I find the easiest way to start a sustainable habit of writing is to just make it either the FIRST thing I do when I wake up or the FIRST thing I do at my office computer before I leave work.
By making it the first thing you do when you wake up, you ensure there will be NO distractions. You're just waking up, you have this fresh start and everybody is probably still asleep if you get up early enough. This is the PERFECT time to start typing away.
Just think, you have no burdens or stress from the day because you've just woken up, AND this is where you will have most of your energy because you haven't been burnt out yet.
If you hate getting up early, however, or it's just not in your schedule to do so, bring a laptop to work. After you clock out, find a place you can go where nobody will bother you, and just let those paragraphs flow.
YES you want to leave and YES you're tired, but believe me, when you get home, take a shower, and turn on the TV, you're only going to find you're MORE tired.
So think of going home as a REWARD. The consequence? If you don't finish writing you need to sleep at your desk for the night. Not really, but if you want to write a book, you need to make it a habit and a priority!
For me, I find the easiest way to start a sustainable habit of writing is to just make it either the FIRST thing I do when I wake up or the FIRST thing I do at my office computer before I leave work.
By making it the first thing you do when you wake up, you ensure there will be NO distractions. You're just waking up, you have this fresh start and everybody is probably still asleep if you get up early enough. This is the PERFECT time to start typing away.
Just think, you have no burdens or stress from the day because you've just woken up, AND this is where you will have most of your energy because you haven't been burnt out yet.
If you hate getting up early, however, or it's just not in your schedule to do so, bring a laptop to work. After you clock out, find a place you can go where nobody will bother you, and just let those paragraphs flow.
YES you want to leave and YES you're tired, but believe me, when you get home, take a shower, and turn on the TV, you're only going to find you're MORE tired.
So think of going home as a REWARD. The consequence? If you don't finish writing you need to sleep at your desk for the night. Not really, but if you want to write a book, you need to make it a habit and a priority!
5. Compete With Others In Your Range
Last but not least, find somebody who can CHALLENGE you.
Maybe it's a fellow indie author, or maybe its a BIG author you want to be like. Either way, you need a role model and you need someone to keep you on your toes.
It's like playing a sport - you want to play with others who are slightly better than you. Only by challenging yourself in this way will you get better.
I recommend, if you want to compete with someone, to find an author on your level or not to far from the level you are on.
Just think. How big is their fan base? How many books do they have? How many GREAT reviews do they have? Figure this out, then BEAT them at their own game. Get better reviews, get more followers on Facebook or Twitter, and write bigger and better books.
Everyone loves competition, and I truly believe it sparks motivation and greatness.
Maybe it's a fellow indie author, or maybe its a BIG author you want to be like. Either way, you need a role model and you need someone to keep you on your toes.
It's like playing a sport - you want to play with others who are slightly better than you. Only by challenging yourself in this way will you get better.
I recommend, if you want to compete with someone, to find an author on your level or not to far from the level you are on.
Just think. How big is their fan base? How many books do they have? How many GREAT reviews do they have? Figure this out, then BEAT them at their own game. Get better reviews, get more followers on Facebook or Twitter, and write bigger and better books.
Everyone loves competition, and I truly believe it sparks motivation and greatness.