Motivation

by Amy Mager
26th May 2018

Hi all, I'm sure everyone here has experienced the dull ache of writer's block and painful 'hitting a brick wall' moment in writing.

I'm currently editing my novel (about third draft), and I'm losing the will to live today.

I've already taken a long break from my own work, I've taken some notes from others, and I still feel like I'm fighting that brick wall. Does anyone have any good tips for breaking down said wall? Or tips for motivation? For killing that horrible demon of self-doubt and self-loathing?

I really want to submit for a midway review next week and at this rate I just don't see it happening.

Thanks to any responses

Replies

This might be peculiar to me - so feel free to ignore! But whenever I have similar moments, it turns out that I'm resisting my brain's attempts to tell me that something fundamental needs to be changed in my novel.

I'm currently re-drafting and I'm using some key words to make sure I'm on track. I keep asking myself, is this chapter exciting/ magical/dangerous enough? Obviously these words might not apply to your book, so you would have to find your own.

I also keep asking myself - is this actually interesting/ relevant? The answer is often no - (sigh).

For me, re-drafting only works if I set myself specific tasks as I work through my book.

Hope this helps!

Profile picture for user miriammo_49266
Miriam
Morrison
330 points
Practical publishing
Fiction
Middle Grade (Children's)
Picture Books (Children's)
Comic
Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Speculative Fiction
Adventure
Historical
Miriam Morrison
26/05/2018