I used to really dislike the period of the year when the sun only shines for a handful of hours, and my motivation to go outside for walks drops as low as the temperature.
But do you know what the awful weather is excellent for?
My writing motivation!
I adore waking up in the morning, staggering clumsily to the coffee machine, and then watching the sun struggle above the horizon as I put words onto paper (digitally).
That’s why today, I thought we’d take a little look at motivation (and how to keep it) – especially in these cold, dark months!
Maintaining motivation can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. So if you’ve found your want for writing waning, or simply found yourself staring into space more than filling pages with words, then let’s take a look at five things you can do to help ease yourself out of that slump.
1. Set achievable goals for yourself
One thing that’ll knock my writing dead into the water is when I set goals that are unachievable for myself. Rewriting an entire novel in three months? Yep, not going to happen. And when I did try and make it happen, I found that my morning writing sessions involved a lot less writing, and a lot more checking the news, doom scrolling social media, or just generally procrastinating in any way possible.
Have a think about what a realistic goal for yourself might be. That might be setting yourself a word count goal (try and pick one you can achieve on your bad days, and over-achieve on your good days!). It might be simply a “show up” goal – “I’d like to show up at my desk four days this week to write”. Whatever that goal is, the important part is that you know you can achieve it. And ideally, you can achieve it on your worst days, as well as your best!
2. Try and find a routine that works for you
I juggle my writing around my full time job, which means I have found a slice of time (usually between 5am and 7am) where I know I can write, and it won’t get in the way of my job, or my commute (although it often gets in the way of me eating breakfast!)
Have a look at your typical day, and try and think when you could squeeze a writing slot into it that would be easy for you to maintain. Perhaps you always get a break at lunchtime, and you could reserve an hour for writing then? Or perhaps you’re full of energy when you get home from work, and could expend some creative energy that way?
Finding a routine will help you turn writing into a habit, which in turn will help your motivation levels. Once you’ve had practice on turning up on your bad days AS WELL AS your good days, you won’t need a great day as an impetus to start writing. All days will be writing days!
3. Reward yourself!
Writing can sometimes feel like climbing a great big mountain, and then when we reach the top we find: another mountain! Finished a novel? How about that edit, huh! Finished the edit? Well then, you must be ready to start writing a synopsis! Or query letters! Or a pitch!
It’s important for us writers to celebrate our milestones when we hit them. Did you reach your word count goal for the day? Celebrate with a cup of your favourite tea! Did you finish your entire novel? Put a bottle of something lovely (doesn’t need to be bubbles, but that’s my celebration tipple of choice) in the fridge and celebrate! Rewarding yourself will help you see the progress you’re making, and in turn that’ll make writing feel like less of a mountain range, and more of a fun hill you get to climb up and ski down.
4. Reach out to fellow writers
The first thing I do when my motivation runs for the hills? I reach out to the writers around me! Let them know you’re having a bad creativity day, and sometimes just having someone else validate that feeling can help you feel better. Even better – your fellow wordsmiths likely have some great tips for pulling themselves out of that rut. One of the writers in my network goes for long walks, another takes a bath. Me? I like to turn to reading instead, or I’ll stick on a good movie! Seeing someone else knit together a seamless narrative often inspires me back to my desk.
5. Read
You’ve definitely heard the adage that writers have to be readers – but that’s not just because it helps us understand the make-up of stories. It’s also because novels are inspiring, and as a writer, you can dive into different genres to try and find some inspiration! Wondering how on earth to introduce that antagonist? Perhaps pick up a thriller, and get some inspiration for creating tension through language. No idea how to get the love interests in the same room? Stick a romantic comedy on the television, and see how others have done it! Sometimes all we need is a spark of inspiration to kick our minds back into motivation mode.
6. Take a break
I know I only promised you five tips, but here’s a bonus one: take a break from writing. I try and write five days during the week, and then I’ll give myself the weekend off! Likewise at Christmas, or whenever I’ve booked annual leave (/vacation) I’ll try and put my laptop away and give myself a break. For me, I find it gives my brain a bit more space to marinade on ideas, before putting them straight down on paper. I also find that it gives me the writing itch, where I just HAVE to sit down and write something. So it’s a win win!
I’ll add a disclaimer here though: if you don’t already have a writing habit in place, try and limit the length of the break you give yourself. It should feel “weird” for you not to be writing!
So there you have it! My tips for maintaining your writing mojo this holiday season. I hope they’ve helped, and if you have any good tips to share, please pop them in the comments below!
Happy writing, writers!
The Lamplighter’s Bookshop – coming Spring 2025!
Scheduled for spring 2025, The Lamplighter’s Bookshop is my debut novel, a historical romance set in 1899 telling the story of Evelyn Seaton, the aristocratic daughter of a gambling father. The synopsis reads: “After she and her mother are made destitute, Evelyn secretly answers an advertisement for a bookshop assistant at the shambling yet captivating Lamplighter’s Bookshop in York, but she is not the only candidate … competition comes in the person of William, a charming yet enigmatic writer hiding secrets of his own.”
Liked this tip? Get more of them!
Join my mailing list and you’ll get notified of new posts.
Sophie Writes 