Writing Motivation: Proven Tips to Keep the Words Flowing

There’s no getting away from the fact that sometimes, writing can be downright hard. Maybe you’ve hit a point where putting one word after another feels like a thankless slog. You might even feel like you have no motivation to write whatsoever.

To help you navigate this tricky patch, here are our tips on how to motivate yourself to write.

1. Make It Easier With a Routine

In the morning, you tell yourself you “should” do some writing today, but then your time gets eaten up by other things. Before you know it, it’s almost bedtime, and all you have the energy to do is flop on the couch. Sound familiar?

It’s infinitely harder to find writing motivation when you actively have to decide how to fit writing into your day. It’s likely to get squeezed out by other things or by tiredness. So, make that decision in advance and take the pressure off yourself.

Pick a slot for writing, put it in your calendar, and stick to it like it’s an appointment with someone else.

If you can make it a regular slot (ideally daily), that’s even better. It will become a habit—you won’t have to “choose” to do it as it’ll feel natural.

A writing routine isn’t a magic spell, unfortunately. There will still be days when the words just aren’t flowing, and you have to trudge through. But it can help.

 2. Use Sprints and Small Goals to Keep Up the Momentum

Big goals like “I’m going to write a book” or even “I’m going to write my next chapter” feel exciting at first, but they can quickly squish your motivation as they feel too overwhelming. The same can even happen if you tell yourself “I’m going to spend the day writing.”

As odd as this may sound, rather than thinking about how to force yourself to write lots, you may be better off thinking small. A small goal is much less daunting, so it’s easier to start.

Writing sprints are a great way to deploy this technique. The idea is to set a timer for a period, like 15 minutes, and see how much you can write. Sprints make writing feel much more doable. They also help you concentrate, so you may get more done.

Even better, once you’re writing, you might well find you’ve got the oomph to keep going. If not, though, that’s okay; you’ve achieved what you set out to do and have some words on the page.

Setting a regular small goal could help you make sustainable progress; scheduling a daily sprint or setting a small minimum daily word count or time commitment are all good options for laying a foundation you can build on.

3. Make Writing Fun or Rewarding

There’s no harm in a little external motivation when you’re flagging.

Is there something you could use as a reward after a writing session? It could be anything: a tasty snack, a relaxing bath, or an episode of your favorite show.

Alternatively, if you’re into gaming, there are ways to use that as writing encouragement too. Sites like 4thewords enable you to go on quests and defeat monsters just by making progress on your writing goals.

4. Stay on Track With Deadlines

When it comes to how to stay motivated to write, deadlines are your friends. They keep you focused and give you a healthy sense of urgency.

Handle them with care, though. While you want to present yourself with a challenge to work toward, you also don’t want to shoot for something unattainable. Try to find a middle ground between giving yourself enough time but not too much.

That said, you might be surprised by how quickly you can finish. For many writers, taking part in month-long community writing challenges provides the right amount of time pressure for them to write an initial draft.

If you’d like to give that a go, check out our 30-day writing challenge, Novel November (NovNov). You’ll be able to get support from other writers and benefit from advice from expert authors, editors, and book coaches along the way.

5. Get in the Zone With the Right Soundtrack

Finding the right soundtrack for your writing session could help you reconnect with your motivation by setting the mood and/or by blocking out distractions.

You could choose music that makes you feel excited or empowered, helping you to get into the right mindset to smash your next scene. Alternatively, you could pick an album or playlist that matches the mood of what you’re writing so you can let the emotions sweep you along.

You could also find a soundscape or some ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) that fits the vibe of your story. Whether it’s crashing waves or the sounds of a bustling fantasy city, there are thousands of atmospheric videos and playlists out there to help you get immersed in a setting.

Alternatively, you might discover that what you actually need to get into the zone is to find somewhere where you can write in blissful silence (even if that’s with the help of some ear plugs or noise-canceling headphones).

6. Explore What’s Holding You Back

A lack of motivation doesn’t mean you’re failing or “doing something wrong.” We all hit rough patches now and again. There might be something deeper at play that you could benefit from addressing, though.

It could be a lack of self-confidence or the fear that your writing “isn’t good enough” (more on that below). It could be anxiety about not knowing where to take the story next. Maybe you’re just plain tired because of other things in your life.

Try asking yourself how you’re feeling about your writing. What things are you telling yourself, and are they helping or hindering you? Understanding your feelings is the first step to working through them so you can carry on.

7. Quiet Your Doubts and Build Your Confidence

While it’s a good thing to want to do your best work, fretting about the quality of your writing can quickly sap your motivation to keep going.

If you’re working on an early draft and wondering how to keep writing when there’s a tiny, doubting voice in the back of your mind constantly questioning whether you should bother, remind yourself that you’re just exploring for now. You can come back and revise it later.

You can also hunt out resources, exercises, and tools to help you work on the aspects of writing you feel less sure about so you can start actively building your confidence.

If you sign up for a free ProWritingAid account, you can get insights into things like pacing, dialogue, and showing rather than telling to help you hone your craft.

8. Remind Yourself Why You’re Doing This

When you’re pushing yourself to do it or berating yourself for not doing it, writing can feel like a chore.

But you likely started writing because it fulfilled you in some way, and that is one of the most powerful sources of motivation. Maybe you had a story idea that you felt was too good not to put out there. Maybe you just love the act of sharing stories with people.

Try to find a way of reconnecting with that reason. Think back to how you felt at the start of this project or revisit your initial notes. If you like the act of sharing your work, maybe send a snippet to a friend for that heady thrill of seeing a reader’s reaction.

You could also look to the future and daydream about how good it will feel to type the last word, knowing you’ve achieved your goal of bringing that story to life.

9. Switch It up With a Different Project

If you’re really struggling to find joy in what you’re writing, or your confidence has taken a hit, switching to a different project for a while might help you rediscover your writing mojo.

This is another tool to use mindfully; you don’t want to fall into the vicious novelty-seeking spiral and find yourself constantly chasing the thrill of new ideas. Make sure you have a solid plan for returning to your work in progress before you set it aside.

It might help to pick side projects that are self-contained (like journaling or flash fiction) or that you can easily dip in and out of.

You could even write brief scenes about side characters or other events in the universe of your main project. Even if these don’t fit into the actual story, they could help reignite your interest in the idea and/or lead you to useful insights.

10. Get Support From Other Writers

Socializing with other writers through local writing groups or social media could give you a boost. You could do some cowriting for extra accountability or just chat through your struggles with someone who gets it.

The writers you find may have tried and tested motivation tips to share too, but just knowing that other people face the same issues can be uplifting in itself.

Conclusion: Build a Writing Motivation Toolkit

All writers will be hit with a lack of motivation at some point; it’s pretty much unavoidable. What you can do is develop a set of techniques to reach for that will help you find your way through (and you will).

And for a month-long motivation boost, consider joining us for Novel November.