Motivation

I'm currently working through chapter 2 of the book. I had thought that working on both the rule set and novel would be difficult, but it allows me to take a break from one to work on the other. This keeps writing from becoming monotonous and keeps my motivation peaked. By working on two projects at once, I am also making progress on multiple projects that would otherwise need to be set aside for a long duration.

A lot of writers struggle with staying motivated to the end. It is obvious when a writer forces themselves to continue writing. Their work begins to grow dry and stagnant. The reader will begin to lose interest in both the material and the context of the work. It is imperative that the attention of the audience is maintained throughout the entirety of the book.

A major aspect of any creative art is taking the time to do it right. Many people assume that a writer can simply work harder to create more or better material. This is simply untrue. Creativity cannot be forced. Working harder or longer hours will not improve the quality of literature or artwork. Many writers struggle with this concept, as everyone is confronted by deadlines and time tables.

That is not to say it should take a decade to finish a book. Only that enough time should be taken for reflection and review. Many ideas that seem sufficient at first glance can be made better with additional thought. Voice is always a subject of concern and many authors struggle with making conversations flow naturally.

Despite this, a deadline or time limit can add motivation to complete sections of the work in ample time. I do not recommend a deadline that encompasses the entire work (such as the whole novel) but break it down into small pieces, such as chapters. If you know you can write a chapter a week, set aside two weeks per chapter to allow for additional time. Many authors find that a single set back can delay the entire book because they did not leave enough room to catch up.

Setting a goal for the entire book can be dangerous, because it can lead to complacency. A year is a long time, and the writer may gain a false sense of security. Smaller goals also make it easier to track progress and update the editor (if you have one). This in itself can be motivating (it felt really good to have a full chapter of 10,000 words completed in my novel).

As an example, I determine the number of chapters I want (currently 10) and the number of words per chapter I would like to achieve (10,000). I want to write roughly a chapter per week, or 10,000 words. I immediately know how far along in the chapter I am each day, and therefore an excellent idea of how the book is progressing. This is very motivational. It removes the feeling that my book will never be completed and any uncertainty as to how much longer the book will take to write.

If you are struggling with motivation, a good practice would be to pick up a second project that is similar in nature, set short and medium term goals for yourself, and allot certain times during the day to write. Take the time you need to make your literature worth reading. Quality should never suffer for the sake of quantity.