I sit down in front of my computer, pull the keyboard closer, and open the document. I’m ready to go to war with my book.
But the moment the loading bar disappears, I freeze. Everything I had prepared in my mind is gone. I can’t do a thing.
Sound familiar?
Honestly, I’ve lost count of all the days I didn’t know how to stay motivated when writing. When that dreadful, sinking feeling swept in and made me question everything.
But through trial, error, and a few too many dramatic stares at a blinking cursor, I found a way through.
Here are the five tips that helped me write 130,000 words and actually enjoy the process.
Tip 1: You’re Being Way Too Hard on Yourself
What’s the first thing you did when you wanted to become a writer?
Probably Googled: “How do I become a writer”
And then got bombarded with a billion results telling you to write for hours, hustle every day, sacrifice sleep, eat rejection for breakfast.
Dramatic much?
But the fact that you’re here tells me it didn’t work out exactly the way you thought. Am I right?
And I get it.
If your dream is to become a bestselling author, yeah, long hours may be part of it.
But if your dream is to write a novel and actually enjoy the ride? You need a different approach. Especially if you want to figure out how to stay motivated when writing consistently.
The Breakthrough Moment I needed
It’s a cliché at this point, I know.
But the first thing you’ll notice as you start your writing journey is that you want to see results.
You want them now.
It’s as guaranteed as catching a cold after running around in the rain.
But you need to constrain yourself.
I once forced myself to write 3 hours straight for three days straight.
I racked up 18,000 words and felt so proud.
Like I owned the world.
Then, on day four, nothing.
I couldn’t put a word down. I’d burned out 110 percen. I didn’t write for a week.
So when I came back, I tried just 30 minutes a day.
And suddenly? Writing was fun again.
Dial It All The Way Down to Find Your Motivation Again
Writing is a slow grind.
A long, winding hike with weird weather and amazing views, and if you try to force it, you’ll only end up hurting yourself.
If 30 minutes feels like too much, start with 15.
Lower the bar. Give yourself an easy goal to start with and make yourself want to show up.
When I started to write, I thought I had to write for hours to be taken seriously. Anything less, and I was just pretending.
But five hours a day didn’t make me a writer, in fact, it made me hate it.
Consistency builds confidence. Pressure destroys it.
Tip 2: Build a Writing Routine That Works For You
This is just a brief overview of creating a writing routine. If you want a detailed dive, I recommend you check out my post where I give you all the knowledge on how to create a writing routine that actually works.
When I started, I did what I now call “fuck around writing.”
Basically: write whatever whenever I felt like it.
It felt amazing at first, but guess what? I mostly just ended up watching YouTube and feeling guilty.
I love the sporadic element of it, but for productivity? Not so much.
Want to know how to stay motivated when writing long-term? Set a small, scheduled block of time to write.
Why Systems Beat Motivation Every Time
Your brain likes structure more than you think.
That’s at least what my experience tells me.
I mean, it’s crazy, once you’ve a system in place that kindly tells you: “At 9 pm, I’ll write for 15 minutes” something clicks.
No decision fatigue. No emotional spiral.
It wants to work.
Sometimes it’s not the action, but rather the thought of the action that stops you from writing.
Having that system, it’s like a free entry past the ‘I can’t write’ barrier, and the blank page won’t intimidate you as much when it’s just part of your day.
Kinda like brushing your teeth, but more exciting.
Tip 3: Conquer the Blank Page Before It Conquers You
You open your document. Cursor blinking. Ten minutes pass. Still blank.
What the fuck am I even trying to accomplish here.
The sinking feeling hits you like a truck just in time to cue the existential dread:
“What am I even doing?”
“Maybe I’m not cut out for this.”
“I should’ve gone into accounting.”
Well, hello and welcome. Writer’s block is a nice place isn’t it?
The Real Culprit? Perfectionism
The story, it’s there. Inside your head. It just gets shy.
I know silly story, but how do you fix it?
Step one? Walk away for a few minutes. Step two? Come back and write terribly on purpose.
Yes, really.
That’s how to stay motivated when writing. You need to let your words be ugly.
Ramble.
Be ridiculous – It’s the momentum you’re looking for. It’s progress.
Yes, the page will be messy now, but this isn’t a “how to write the best draft.” It’s the start of your draft and it’s editable later.
Tip 4: Make Writing Fun and Exciting
Writing can be a complex thing.
One of the things I struggled with quite a bit when I started my journey was that I thought I had to write in a specific way.
But here’s an idea that saved my writing life: You’re allowed to enjoy writing.
Shocking, I know.
I used to think my style had to be in a particular way, my character flawless, and my dialogue breathtaking.
It’s the thing every writer wants, but nobody really gets. Right?
Now? I chase the scenes I love most. I write dialogue that makes me laugh.
Basically, I’ve just accepted and learned to write in ways that feel weird and natural. At least to me.
And that’s exactly why I’m boasting to share this with everybody that wants to listen:
Short stories, poems, novels, whatever they are, don’t matter.
If you want to learn how to stay motivated when writing as a writer working on your first project, you need to focus on having fun.
Everything else will follow.
Fun Is Your Secret Weapon
But what is fun in writing?
Some writers love world-building. Others live for dramatic monologues.
Figure out what excites you and lean into it.
If it brings a smile to your face while writing, it’ll most likely bring a smile to the face of whoever is reading it.
Tip 5: Bad Days Are Part of the Journey, Not a Sign to Quit
No matter how prepared you are, no matter how many remedies you have stacked up, there’ll be bad days.
You’ll have off days and your brain will feel like sludge.
It’s as guaranteed as the sun rising.
That doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re writing.
And what exactly are you supposed to do with it?
Well, you just accept it.
What I Wish I Knew Earlier
Back when I was doing my 3-hour sprints, I felt the energy drop on day two.
I couldn’t see the story as clearly in my head and I didn’t feel as strongly about the story as I did in the beginning.
But I didn’t stop. I pushed.
I wanted to prove to the world that I could be a writer and this was the way I was going to do it.
You already know how that went.
Now, when I sense creative fatigue, I scale back.
If a 30-minute session is too much, I try 10. If even that feels impossible, I take the day off, intentionally.
One thing I have realized is that Writing is part of your life, not your whole identity.
And life is a constant battle for balance and everything impact each other.
If you’re serious about learning how to stay motivated when writing and becoming a writer, then you need to take care of all the parts of you, not just the writer.
And if this means taking a day from writing to clear your to-do list, then go do it.
Final Thoughts: How to Stay Motivated When Writing
Phew. We covered a lot.
But just like motivation can be a mysterious force that comes and goes like bad Wi-Fi. You build a system that fuels you through the highs and lows.
This is how to stay motivated when writing, even when it’s hard:
- Set goals that are so easy, you want to show up.
- Rely on systems, not feelings.
- Let your first words be messy, you can clean them up later.
- Write for joy, not perfection.
- Embrace the off-days like they’re a working day.
This is a marathon not a sprint.
And the best way to make it through is to write for you, compare yourself only to you, and trust the process.
The rest will follow.
That’s a wrap for today.
Writing is hard. But it’s also deeply worth it. If this post gave you even a spark of motivation, I’d love to hear about it. Share your struggles, your wins, or just say hi in the comments. Or shoot me an email. I read every single one.
Until next time – stay creative, stay curious, and keep showing up.
Your writing buddy,
Jack
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