Motivation is Key

Tip of the Day: need some motivation? Try writing outside or in a different location. You just might find new inspiration!

It seems like every few months one of us writes about finding motivation. Sometimes I feel bad for having to admit that I need to search for writing motivation so much. I mean if we love writing, then we shouldn't have to search for motivation all the time, should we?

But then I remember I'm not alone, and that just like with everything in life some days we are more motivated then others. One day you might have a hectic schedule at your day job, the next your kids might not stop screaming for attention, or the next you might be extremely sick and unable to physically work. With all that chaos, I don't know how people don't have to seek motivation to write (So if you are one of those lucky few, please share with the rest of us).

No matter how chaotic life might get, if you want to pursue writing for publication then you definitely have to find motivation. So this list of things to try to get your writing groove back is just as much for you as it is me:

1. Read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sometimes that's all it takes is to immerse yourself in someone else's world to get motivated to create your own.
2. Try something new. If you are bored with what you are writing and have the option to work on something different, then do it. Or even just change where you write (just think how different your story could be written from the beach instead of your cramped couch) or how you write (hello old-fashioned paper and pen, how I've missed you). You might be amazed at the results. But if you are under contract, maybe just writing five minutes a day of something else might also help.
3. Surround yourself with a great support system. Someone wise once said that you are only as good as the people you keep around you. Having writing friends that can support you makes all the difference. Having non-writing ones are just as important for the days you need to take a break, which leads me to...
   
4. Take a break. Sometimes all you need is a break. So don't feel bad if you need to take a day, week, month, or even longer break from writing. Chances are everything will still come out fine, and your writing might thank you for the rest. Remember at your day job, you usually get two-days off a week for a reason :)
   

What about you? How do you find motivation, where no motivation exists?

--Emily, Miss Querylicious