There are times when you've busted your ass, and someone, well meaning or not, can deliver an awful critique. Or you fail to hit goals, whether unrealistic or not. Or you experience a major life roll that knocks you on your butt. Or you burn out due to various reasons.
In my case, the last ten years have been super stressful. The family moved 1200 miles. I was diagnosed with breast cancer. DH and I lost all four of our parents. Our only child joined the military. The COVID pandemic happened, and we lost some people we cared about. We moved into a new house, and we haven't really had a chance to unpack.
After all that, I didn't really break down until this year. Normally, I have 200K words written by this time of year. Today, I finally hit 40K.
Yeah, I know. HUGE difference.
Something needed to change. I started taking yoga classes. I took a short five-day vacation to one of my favorite cities with a new friend.
But most importantly, I started writing in the afternoons and evenings with some long distance writer friends.
The nice thing is there's no weird competition with these folks. We all write some combo of fantasy and romance, but not the same subgenres. We share tips and tricks. We write hard, then break to share covers or puppy pics.
These particular things might not motivate you, and that's fine. Experiment with what might work for you.
One gal I know bought a house with a pool. Her rule is she can't use the pool until she gets her words in for the day. This time of year, she's done by 11 am, so she can sun and do laps.
Someone else buys shoes (her obsession) when she finishes a novel or the equivalent of novelas.
Another writer gets their exercise in first, so her writing is her reward for running a couple of miles.
There's not a one-size-fits-all approach to motivation. You need to figure out what works for you.
In the meantime, a HUGE THANK YOU to Candi, Kate, and Madi for helping me get back on track for 2024!
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