In a guest post on Jane Friedman’s blog, Allison Williams says that motivation alone doesn’t finish books. “Finishing your book isn’t actually about motivation,” she says. “Sure, you can want to spend the time writing, you can type with intensity, you can burn with the need to tell your story. But motivation isn’t enough.”
We may set aside time to write on our own and may feel motivated to get to work, but it’s easy to let outside commitments eat up our appointed hours. Sometimes, what’s missing is accountability. “Paying for a class or workshop, or even just being accountable to a regular writing group, knowing others are waiting for you, feels like a firm commitment in a way that’s very hard to honor with motivation alone,” Williams says. “Our families and friends are more likely to treat an outside commitment with respect, too.”
Motivation alone might not fix these obstacles:
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Inability to see your finish line
- Not knowing your audience
- Uncertainty where to publish
- Difficulty finishing
Many writers finish on their own, Williams says. “But even more of them have support systems, deadlines, teachers, exercises, instructions and help,” she adds. “If a workshop is out of your budget, grab a couple of other writers and start a regular meeting, with deadlines and goals.”
