Boo! Did I scare you? After a not-so-short hiatus, I’m back– and I’ve got something on my mind. How many times have you told yourself, “I’ll do it later”, or “I’m waiting for motivation to strike”? I know I’ve said those things a lot, and I’m not too proud of it.
As a full-time student with a part-time job, it can be hard to even consider finding time to write– but there’s a little piece of me that’s always longing to be at a keyboard. At the end of the day, it comes down to motivation vs. discipline.
Any creative person knows that the muses can strike at any given moment without warning. That sudden urge to write, paint, create– whatever your passion is. And it won’t be satiated until you get your hands back on your craft. But how long does this motivation last? A couple days? A week? A month, if you’re lucky? This is the story of my life. It wasn’t until this semester that I decided I’ve done enough waiting for inspiration.
The debts that need to be paid…
Do you ever feel like you owe something to your novel? The plots, subplots, and characters? I sure do. And this year I’m paying back my debts. Back in January, I set a new goal for myself. This wasn’t a New Year’s resolution (because I have a terrible track record of breaking those, and I didn’t want to break this one), but rather a promise to myself and to my novel.
This new goal was that I would respect my writing the way that I respect classwork, my job, and other responsibilities. I would schedule a set time in my week to write and honor it. Five weeks left in the semester, and I’m pleased to say that my goal-setting was effective in writing more. I didn’t write every day that I said I would, as life frequently gets in the way (and midterms suck), but I’m 15,000 words deeper in my novel than I was 3 months ago.
So, how can you create more?
Reserve your date with destiny.
Time is a good thing to have and a hard thing to come by. But if you can find some, even a 30 minute window, you’ll be a little closer to your goal. By consistently showing up for yourself and your creations, you’ll build habits that make it easier to return to your work every time.
Sharing is caring.
If you can, gather a group of people with similar interests and create your own little guild. Hold each other accountable. Share your work. And in the process, ask for valuable feedback that will make you a stronger creator!
Create off the clock.
When you can’t be near your craft, look at the world around you. What can you learn from experiencing everyday life? What conversations did you unapologetically eavesdrop on that would make for great dialogue in your story? What scenes did you observe that would make a great short film? When you see something that inspires you, write it down and return to it when you can.
Stop waiting for your muse– she isn’t coming uninvited. Instead, grab your calendar, tell her what time to be there, and SHOW. UP. Being there is the first step.
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Yes!!! I’ve done something similar to this. I’ve set a goal of 5 hours of writing a week and I’m doing my absolute best to stick to it. I’ve written so much since starting that!!!
Wow! This was so insightful! I hope you have more good reads coming soon:)!