Finding Motivation as a Writer Through Dedication
“Be more than motivated, be more than driven, become literally obsessed to the point where people think you’re f***ing nuts.”
David Coggins
Yikes, lack of motivation. A plague that enters the mind on the best of days and stays for inconsistent amounts of time. Let’s be honest with ourselves, we all suffer from a lack of motivation in our lives every day, especially when it comes to our writing. We all want that perfect moment to strike that permits us to create masterpieces, but yet, it almost never arrives.
That’s why I want to go over motivation and how to always have it through dedication. Motivation will come and go throughout our entire lives without consulting you first. However, if we can focus on dedication, then we can control the motivation we desire.
Understanding Writing Motivation
Before we get too far into the techniques, we need to first talk about writing motivation and what it is. At its core, it is a combination of want, inspiration, and drive that creates motivation. We, as writers, want to write for a living, we want to have the freedom and romance of an author. It is the idea of taking in the world and being inspired to write a story for others to enjoy. And it is also our dreams and goals for where we see ourselves in one, five, ten, or thirty years as an author and the person we want to be. It is all of these things combined.
The problem with motivation is trying to align any of these three items in the perfect order at the perfect time. This can be tricky, as it doesn’t always happen. Or when motivation does strike, by the time we get to the computer, we have already lost it. Then, when we don’t complete the writing that we intended to, we can feel discouraged, fall behind on deadlines, invite writer’s block into our lives, and even have self-doubt as writers.
This is why I would like to go over ideas, practices, and habits that will help foster a strong relationship with dedication so you don’t always have to worry about motivation to strike, but rather have it as an extra tool to use on top of your dedication.
Setting Clear Goals
Goal-keeping is a common and useful practice among most professions. Setting goals and then hitting those goals is a great way to keep the momentum alive and strong. Though, on the flip side, if you don’t hit your goals, it could lead to a lack of motivation and a feeling of failure. So, setting the right type of goals can be crucial for success.
Please note that each individual’s goals will be different depending on personality type, time restraints, accessibility, and a dozen other factors. Just because a friend may set a goal by hitting a certain word count doesn’t mean that you have to.
Let’s get into some of the goal types and practices.
SMART Goals
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound.
S.M.A.R.T. goals quickly became one of my favorite goals. I first learned about them in the fitness community, as it was a way for me to become healthy and not lose insight into my desired results. Actually, they can be so effective that they helped me lose 140 pounds. While we aren’t here to talk about my weight loss journey or fitness, it helps to show the point of how impactful S.M.A.R.T. goals can truly be.
Smart goals need to be:
- Specific
- I will write chapter ten.
- Measurable
- Chapter ten is going to be 2500 words.
- Achievable
- Chapter ten isn’t an entire act or the entire book, but a manageable section.
- Relevant
- It’s the next logical step after Chapter 9 and before Chapter 11. As well as relevant to an end goal (a finished book).
- Time-bound
- I have two weeks to do it.
This is only a single example of S.M.A.R.T. goals. You can actually break it down further to nightly goals, or maybe a little longer. Though, make sure you follow each rule and do not throw your net too wide, as it can quickly become overwhelming. The idea of S.M.A.R.T. goals is to take small bites that keep you on track and feeling good.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Goals
Short-term and long-term goals are also valuable assets when building your dedication. Each has their own values, but it is recommended to use them together and not separately.
Short-Term Goals
Short-term goals are a great way to keep the drive, progress, and motivation going. It gives you the ability to see success on a smaller scale, promoting a sense of achievement.
This could include items such as:
- Writing a single article
- Writing a chapter
- Finishing a short story.
- Posting a story on Instagram once a day for one month.
Something that is achievable in the short term but pushes you forward to your long-term goals.
Long-Term Goals
Long-term goals are the bigger picture. Often, the end result or at least a task that is known to take a good amount of time.
These tasks can include, but are not limited to:
- Finishing writing a book.
- Building an author website.
- Reaching 100k followers on social media.
- Publishing a book.
Usually, long-term goals take some time and investment and can be broken down into smaller and more attainable pieces for short-term goals.
Creating a Writing Routine
A writing routine is a writer’s sacred ritual. Brewing the first cup of coffee, opening the office door (or going outside), turning on the computer, and getting to work for a dedicated amount of time. This, of course, is a single example of a million, each uniquely beautiful and tailored to the writer’s preferences.
Though not all writers may have a writing routine just yet. Things get in the way, and life is hectic. Many writers write when they find the time. However, I would argue this is a routine in itself. But before I get into the weeds, I would like to go over what a writing routine consists of and how to set one up.
Consistency
You may find within this article that consistency is a recurring trait. This is not a coincidence. Consistency is a pillar of dedication. In fact, you really can’t have dedication without consistency. The idea behind it is simple, while the practice may take some effort. To build a healthy habit, ritual, routine, and dedication, one must be consistent. Showing up at your desk every morning at 6 a.m. to write one thousand words takes effort, but when you do it enough, that effort turns into muscle memory. Sooner or later, you are going to feel odd and incomplete if you wake up and don’t write.
Finding Your Best Time
Now, I know I said 6 a.m. above for your writing time. Please don’t think that is the only time I think it is suitable to write. Just like goals, your writing time is going to be unique and personal. We all have different schedules and various aspects of our lives. The key is to find a time that is often open and distraction-free.
- Lunches at the office
- While the kids are at soccer practice
- An hour after work before preparing dinner
- At the gym for 30 minutes before a workout
There are countless options out there, and it may just take a minute to go through your calendar and find something. As long as the time you choose permits you to be consistent and accountable.
Building Rituals
I love this topic. Countless habit-building books, articles, and gurus out there rely on this tactic for their own techniques, and there is a good reason why.
First, what is “building rituals”? Easy, it’s taking the time to recognize and/or build a writing ritual. A series of actions you take to prep for writing, actual writing, and after writing.
Let me give a personal example. I am currently out in Wyoming for an annual summer vacation for a few weeks. While I am away from my usual setting and habits of my own home, I took the first two days to build a new ritual that suits me out in Wyoming.
- Wake up around 6:30
- Take pup for 1-mile walk
- Stretch
- Make Coffee
- Eat breakfast while watching an episode of Community
- As soon as the credits role, I close my personal browser and open my work browser to the last doc I was working on.
- I write for about two hours before we go for a hike.
That is my morning writing ritual that I took the time to build out here. I found the time of day when my mind is fresh and inspired, others are either sleeping or working, and I know I have nothing else on my agenda.
The great thing about rituals is that the cues quickly become built into my brain. The taste and smell of coffee alert my brain that writing will be happening shortly, and when I hear the end credit jungle of Community, I know it is time to write. The brain is pretty amazing at picking these cues up and building muscle memory quickly.
Now, if you excuse me, my dog has alerted me that it is time to go hiking.
Designing a Productive Workspace
Being motivated to write can strike anywhere and anytime. Remember, I’m not saying motivation isn’t useful. I am saying that we want to create environments where we don’t need to rely on motivation but rather have it as a nice bonus on top of our dedication.
Creating an environment where motivation is allowed to thrive is important, but having an environment where dedication is constant is key.
Environment
A writer’s space is sacred. It’s where we are allowed to be ourselves with no judgment, doubt, or restrictions. With that, creating a space that inspires, motivates, and drives you to your goals can be fundamentally important.
When it comes to the items in your workspace, it is, once again, unique to you. It doesn’t need to be meticulously organized, and it doesn’t need to have stacks of papers and books surrounding you, waiting to cave in. What it does need to be is a place that inspires you to write. A place that frees you from distractions and promotes healthy dedication to your work.
Tools and Comfort
When creating your little slice of heaven, it is a good idea to think about the longevity of your furniture. I don’t mean how long the furniture will last (though it is always good to buy quality to reduce waste), but I am talking about the longevity of your work routine. Nothing will take you out of a rhythm faster than an uncomfortable chair, bad lighting, or not having the right tools. Well, I guess screaming kiddos can take you out pretty quick.
Anywhos, as you create your writing space, take your time finding the right chair. Try different chairs from around your house with different cushions. Go to the store and sit in many different ones for a long time to test if it is something you can sit in for a good long while as you create your masterpiece.
The same goes for lighting. Try different bulbs, lamps, screen protectors, anti-glare add-ons, or nighttime apps. As writers, we stare at screens all day, protecting our eyes from the glow of the lights, and screens can literally save us from some serious headaches further down the road.
Another good thing to think about is the accessibility of writing essentials and tools in your workspace. Not having the proper cable, pen, journal, or even coaster can easily distract you from writing. When you just sit down and are about to type your first word when you realize your computer is about to die, it can be detrimental to your writing time, potentially taking away the drive and motivation. Taking a few minutes at the end of each day to prep your workspace for the next day could promote healthy dedication.
Using Writing Prompts and Challenges
What an incredibly fun and valuable tool or resource we writers have! Writing prompts and challenges are fantastic ways to keep motivation alive and dedication strong. The simple act of committing to these resources helps build dedication.
Prompts
Writing prompts are easily accessible and even a fun thing to create. They provide new and fresh opportunities for the imagination. A way to step outside of your current work and get the brain spinning.
Working on a writing prompt once a day or even once a week could help provide the motivation needed. More importantly, it can help build a strong dedication to the craft. Pushing you forward as a writer to better understand the craft and improve your skills in all areas.
Writing Challenges
Oh man, do I love some writing challenges. Every October, the excitement comes flooding back to me in anticipation of participating in November’s NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). A month-long challenge for writers to work on a novel consisting of 50,000 words (1,667 a day minimum).
The great thing about writing challenges is not only the drive but also the built-in dedication that the community exhibits. Seeing and talking to all of the writers out there who hold themselves accountable, in turn, helps us hold each other accountable. It’s a great way to build dedication as a writer because all writers are doing the exact same thing.
Daily Writing Exercises
Another option to build dedication, motivation, and your writing chops is to create your own daily writing exercises. A creative way that pushes your creative side while helping build muscle memory.
Items such as:
- Writing a 100-word short story about your breakfast each day.
- Reading a chapter, then rewriting the chapter in your preferred or different way.
- Using a journal to write yourself as a fictional character.
- Spending 15 minutes studying writing techniques.
- …and so much more.
By sticking true to exercises, you can create a healthy and productive routine to boost your motivation and build strong dedication to the craft.
Finding Inspiration
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”
Stephen King
Reading Widely
It’s no secret that reading is a must for writers. It’s pretty much the reason many of us get into writing: we want to see the worlds we haven’t read. However, reading the genre you write and ONLY the genre you write isn’t a must. It’s shocking how many people I have talked to say that the only genre they read is the one they write. And to be honest, they are doing themselves a disservice.
Read as many genres, authors, styles, and stories as you can possibly read. If you are a fiction writer, you need to be reading non-fiction, and the same goes for non-fiction writers. But it doesn’t stop there. If you are a fantasy writer, you shouldn’t be reading only fantasy, expand your horizons to westerns, mystery, romance, whatever you want. There is no shame in reading, and you shouldn’t let anyone tell you differently.
Different genres and authors are a gateway to new ideas and creativity. It can reignite the spark you may have personally lost. It can give you drive and meaning to your writing. And once again, it can build dedication to your work and craft. You are a writer, take in as much writing as you possibly can.
Research and Exploration
Researching is another great way to expand your dedication, especially to a specific project, while also reading widely. I am always researching for my projects. While I may not always use what I find, it does spark inspiration for other works and leads me down fun and unique paths.
Research also has another great benefit: it can give you insight into the human condition. You find quirky and interesting traits about humans and the topic you are researching. Maybe you are writing a ghost story, and while your research is about ghosts, you can also see people’s beliefs and thought processes about ghosts and their existence.
Creative Cross-training
I have always been a strong believer that writers should be engaging in other hobbies to stimulate and promote their writing careers. In fact, this article goes into a list of hobbies I think writers should have to improve their skills.
Cross-training can help stimulate the brain and open up new ideas for your stories. It allows you to release your ideas through another medium, potentially integrating them into your writing.
Hobbies such as drawing, playing music, painting, crafting, or photography can help build strong and dedicated habits and mindsets.
Setting Milestones and Rewards
Setting milestones and rewards is an important part of any project and can be a healthy habit and mindset to have when done properly. It allows you, as a writer, to see an end goal, the finish line. It gives you a reason to finish the project and can also promote a healthy dedication to the craft. It also allows you, as a human, to enjoy life and not get too tangled in the weeds of the job.
Small Wins
Small wins are a great way to keep the motivation alive. It allows you to remember and celebrate the little things in life as well as your career. Small wins, such as selling your first book or maybe even the hundredth book of your new release. Or maybe it is that you finished a chapter that you have been stuck on. Or you had more than 10 visits to your site in a single day.
At the end of the day, small wins should not be ignored. They help you stay focused and humble throughout your career. Sure, the small wins may change here or there, but maintaining focus on small wins can keep you focused and dedicated to your career.
Rewards System
When we talk about small wins, we can also add in a reward system. Many believe that finishing and releasing the book are rewards in themselves. While this is true, it should be the only reward you give yourself. You are doing an amazing task that very few people actually achieve. Providing yourself with some rewards for your milestones gives you another reason to stay dedicated to your craft.
I personally love to treat myself to a large sundae when I finish a book. My partner and I go out for the treat, and I splurge on toppings that we usually wouldn’t get. I know it isn’t much, but I really look forward to it and will continue to look forward to it.
You can set up a reward system for just about every milestone I have already mentioned, or dozens and hundreds more. Killed off your first character? Treat yourself. Was it recognized in public? Treat yourself. Got your first bad review? Buy a frame, frame it, then treat yourself. Whatever it is, just take the time to enjoy the process and then keep going.
Tracking Progress
This is one that can be incredibly useful to hold yourself accountable, as long as you don’t get down about it. Keeping track of your project through its progress can help shed light on how far you have come, and I strongly believe that should be the focus. Not where you may have failed, but how far you have come.
I will usually keep track of my novel word count each day to help me get an idea of the bigger picture and see how amazingly productive I was throughout the month, even when it may not feel like it. Sure, I may not always stick to it, but it helps when I do. There are many things to keep track of, you just may need a little imagination to come up with what works best for you.
Connecting with a Writing Community
Communities are often said to be the source of a long, happy, and healthy life. There are many perks to being a writer, one of the perks is the crazy amount of writing communities out there. I did a quick search in my town and found that there are half a dozen in my town. Something for any type of writer and their needs.
Support Groups
Support groups are incredibly underrated and underused. Maybe it is due to humans not wanting to feel vulnerable, and I totally get that. As a lifelong introvert, it always takes me a good bit to join a new group and open up. However, there are very few things on this spinning ball that hold one more accountable than a support group, and accountability leads to dedication.
Support groups are there for a single purpose, to support each other’s writing journey. This could come in the form of beta readers, brainstorming, promoting, or even just encouragement to keep writing. Each group is different but should have the same end goal of supporting you and your craft, as long as you support others and their craft.
Critique Partners
The first thing I think about with critique partners is the literary group, The Inklings. While not necessarily a “partner” in the proper sense, it is a group that helped each other with their work. More specifically, they were there to critique, read, write, and bounce ideas off of each other.
A handful of years ago, I found myself talking to a friend and starting our own little coffee date/critique session once every two weeks. We made sure to keep each other accountable and give constructive criticism with whatever work we brought to the table. This lasted for about two years until 2020, when the world shut down.
I fondly look back on this time and truly value the benefits it brought to my career as a writer. My critique partner offered me excellent advice, feedback, and motivation that kept me driven and dedicated to my career.
Dealing with Writer’s Block
Ugh, one of the most problematic roadblocks that every writer will hit sooner or later. It can be devastating to your career if not properly handled and addressed. However, this is why I strongly believe that a strong and dedicated work ethic in writing can outshine motivation, especially in times of writer’s block.
Writer’s block can come in many forms and disguises. A lot of people connect it with a lack of motivation and inspiration. Which isn’t terribly inaccurate but also not terribly true. Not everyone’s writer’s block is the same thing. They can stem from hundreds and thousands of different reasons. Maybe stress is preventing you from thinking of your current story with the right mindset. Or maybe you are so tired that you can barely keep your eyes open long enough to write an entire sentence. Fear and imposter syndrome is also a common cause.
Whatever it is, with the proper practices, it can be defeated before it even arrives at your front door.
Overcoming Strategies
There are dozens and dozens of strategies out there to help you through writer’s block or even prevent it all together. Each writer will have their own technique and advice, you just need to find what works best for you.
My personal strategy is to build a strong foundation of consistent writing to avoid writer’s block before it ever enters your mind. This involves writing every day, no matter what. It allows me to build the proper muscle memory and habits of writing with very little effort. Wiring my brain and body to write at my designated time before allowing writer’s block to even show up.
However, I know this may not work for everyone, purely because the mind is the most complicated piece of equipment in existence.
Here are a few ways to handle writer’s block if it happens to sneak into your mind:
- Freewriting
- Writing everything and anything that comes to mind. No agenda, just word vomiting into your keyboard, whatever comes to mind.
- Changing Scenery
- I know I have talked about creating a productive workspace, but some days it just doesn’t cut it. Changing it up and hitting up a coffee shop or the backyard could push that nasty writer’s block away.
- Taking a Break
- While in high school, I took a college-level painting class. One of the most valuable pieces of advice I remember—maybe the only piece—is to step away from the painting. If things aren’t going the way you want or have imagined, step away, take a breather, grab a coffee and a snack, and come back when you haven’t thought about the piece of work. It may be 5 minutes or 5 days, but it usually helps to see things from a different perspective.
Maintaining Flexibility
While there are many techniques that can prevent or overcome writer’s block, sometimes they just don’t work, and it may seem that nothing will ever work. However, don’t give up. Be flexible, and take it easy on yourself. Writing is hard work and may always be hard work, no matter how experienced you are. But remember to be adaptable and patient. Things will work out.
Balancing Writing with Life
Balancing your writing and your personal life can be a difficult task. There are countless videos, courses, and advice columns out there on how to do so. Hell, I am another article trying to provide some useful guidance on how to do so. So, we might as well get into it.
Time Management
Not everyone adapts to time management skills as others do. I have had to learn and teach myself a good amount about time management. Some of this was project management and six-sigma training in my corporate job. Other times it was me just playing around with tasks and seeing what worked best and when.
At the end of the day, it kind of comes down to priorities. Do you have a 9-to-5 job that is different from your writing career, and is it more important than your writing? I’m not saying to leave your job. We should be fiscally responsible in life. However, I am saying that many of us have had the climbing culture of the corporate ladder burned into us from a young age. Working 60–80 hours a week just to try and maybe get ahead. I was one of these people until I realized my 9-to-5 job wasn’t what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. So, I set boundaries, worked my 40 hours, and focused on the writing during my off time.
I know this sounds incredibly privileged, but it was my reality. Writing was more important to me than the promotions at work, which I really didn’t want.
However, maybe you love your 9-to-5 job and just want to write a book on the side. That is great! Props to you! Then it’s your personal life where you need to find some balance and make some priorities. Rather than watching another episode of Iron Chef (is that still on?), grab your computer and write a few hundred words.
Again, it’s all about the balance of your priorities.
Avoiding Burnout
The last thing we want as writers, or really at any time, is to burnout. It sucks to burnout. Many of us suffer from burnout at some point in our lives. Whether from working out too much, too many hours in the office, too much focus on a hobby, or something as simple as being too tired and bored of cooking, so we order out a bit more.
The trick to combating burnout is to learn your limitations and put guardrails in place. This may take a little bit of time, and hopefully you don’t encounter burnout during this learning process. It will also require you to listen to your body, your mind, and your gut. These aren’t things that all of us are particularly good at, but, in all honesty, we should always focus on.
Just like everything else on this list, the burnout stage is different for every person. Some people can write ten novels a year, while others may only be able to write half of one. What is important is to know your limits.
Finding Your Limits
To find your limits, you can start low and increase them each day, week, or month ever so slightly to see if it is comfortable or not. If it is, then you can repeat this process until you start to feel any measure of stress or fatigue. If you are in tune with your mind and body, you will start to see the early signs well before they happen. Once you do feel any stress or fatigue, take a break and back off by one or two notches. This could then place you in a high productivity/low stress zone that you can maintain for a good while.
However, as you do this, it is important to NOT ignore your health and happiness. By keeping your health and happiness in check, you will be amazed at how much you can accomplish with realistic and achievable standards.
For me, I know that if I feel stressed about cooking dinner, spending time with my partner and animals, or my eyes hurt from too much screen time, I know to back off before I feel true burnout and cause damage.
Seeking Inspiration from Successful Writers
I can’t tell you how many hours I have spent seeking advice and reading articles and interviews with famous authors to find motivation to write. While this is a fun way to spend some time, it may not be the most useful way to spend our time. I find that it often leads to daydreaming of a successful career rather than working on the career that would lead me there.
However, I want to provide some key examples and quotes from famous writers that show dedication over motivation.
“A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”
E.B. White
“I write every morning.”
Ernest Hemingway
“You have to write whether you feel like it or not.”
Khaled Hosseini
“I write every day, and I give myself wordcount goals. (Usually, it’s 2k min, or a certain page goal if revising). It varies though. 10 pages is often my goal. I usually hit it, and sometimes do much more. I write faster at the end of a book than the beginning. Also, some days I write for four or five hours–some days I write fourteen or sixteen. Pretty consistently, I’ve done around 300k words a year for the last few years. Last year I pushed very hard and got around 400k.”Ursula K. Le Guinn Schedule:
Brandon Sanderson
I don’t want to focus too much on other writers and their routines, as I want you to get through the article and put things into practice. Like I said, many of us can spend hours looking up the routines of the successful, but at the end of the day, if we aren’t focused on our own routine, then we can’t be as successful.
Utilizing Technology and Apps
In today’s world, it is easy to find motivation and build dedication. There are countless apps and gadgets out there waiting for you to sign up. All you need to do is choose a few. Sounds easy, right? Well, it actually is. If you choose to go down the tech route, you don’t need many to build a healthy habit of dedication.
Productivity Apps
You could be scrolling and testing apps for hours, trying to find the right productivity app. It is an easily overwhelming process. The good news is that you probably already have a few ready to be used.
- Google Cal
- I love using Google Cal to schedule out my day. Taking a few moments to roughly plan out a week and the times you are going to write can save you some serious headaches.
- Trello or Notion
- Both achieving the same goal. A way to organize your projects and tasks. I have been a user of Kanban-style apps for over a decade and always have them on in the background. It helps organize my current projects and need-to-dos.
- Scrivener
- I have previously used Scrivner and found it to be incredibly useful. Loaded with features and tools to help you stay focused on your project. A little bit of a learning curve though.
Writing Tools
It seems there is a new writing tool popping up each day. Though there are some constants in the field that many writers depend on to get the job done.
- Grammarly/Quil Bot
- Pretty good add-ons that will make your editing process more efficient.
- I recommend turning them off during the writing stage to not get caught up in the edits.
- Pretty good add-ons that will make your editing process more efficient.
- Outlining Software
- There are a few out there. Scrivener is one. I use Google Docs as it allows me to use it and sync it across all of my devices.
- A Good Journal
- Nothing helps me stay more productive and dedicated than my trusty journal. I love the Dingbat brand and have been using them for about three years now.
Distraction Blockers
Another marketplace with endless options. Depending on your budget, preference, and device, you will have multiple options to choose from.
- Built-In Apps
- I personally use the “Do Not Disturb Modes” and “App Timers” of my phone. It allows me to stay focused and limits my doom scrolling to about 5 minutes on each social media app. Enough for me to do a little engaging and a little marketing.
- Placing Phone Elsewhere
- Nothing beats a distraction-free app like placing it in a completely different room and out of site. Most distraction apps, we can get around with a few clicks. But placing it in the other room allows us to limit the gut reaction and habit of even picking up the device.
Developing a Growth Mindset
Out of everything we have talked about, nothing will help you more than building a healthy mindset that is dedicated to personal and professional growth. If you don’t have a healthy mindset towards growth, then you will find many struggles along the way. Sorry to be blunt, but it is the truth. You may not run into those struggles today or tomorrow, but they will show up one day if you aren’t ready.
Embracing Challenges
I have said before, and I will say it dozens of times again, every writer will face challenges, there is no question about it. However, every writer has the ability to view these challenges not as failures but as lessons to learn from. We learn more from difficult situations and even failing than we do from succeeding.
Learning from Feedback
A valuable trait that every human could continue to work on, but also a difficult trait to not take personally. Accepting constructive criticism and learning from the feedback. As I have said before, we are in the arts, and the arts are filled with an unimaginable amount of feedback. If we aren’t careful, that feedback could easily take us down, but there are some tricks to avoid that.
One of the key tricks is to filter out the noise. There are going to be lots of people out there who live to put people down. Ignore these people, as you will never be able to please them. Instead, focus on constructive criticism and identify if there is anything to learn from it. There may not be, and that is okay. As long as you keep an open mind and learn to move on when you don’t find it fitting to your scenario.
Resilience
Learning from feedback easily goes into my last point, building resilience. As I mentioned above, if we aren’t careful, the amount of feedback we receive can quickly become overwhelming and take away all motivation to move forward. However, it is important to remember that every profession and every person deals with constant feedback, it’s nothing new.
When you learn to build thick skin and keep moving forward, you can better navigate that feedback, build resilience, and create beautiful things. Something that helps me properly navigate that feedback is that I remind myself that I know my stories better than anyone while remembering why I write in the first place. Remembering that ultimate goal keeps me dedicated to the craft, as I can so easily see the finish line.
Conclusion
We have talked about a great deal today. How to balance life with writing, using other authors for inspiration, finding a writing community, dealing with writer’s block, and even setting goals. These aren’t nearly all of the ways to build dedication in your craft, but they are some great ways to get started and/or keep going.
If you take anything away from today, remember to be easy on yourself. Dedication doesn’t come over night, and motivation will come and go. Keep trying, keep moving along, and focus on the good of the craft. With time, you will have an unshakable dedication that others will only dream of.
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