In a new post, Mary Carroll Moore discusses what accountability means for writers and how we can motivate ourselves to keep going. “Books are indeed long commitments, and they require creative stamina, but they also demand a system of accountability to self, to project, to whatever keeps you writing,” Moore writes.
Accountability helps you show up consistently for your writing, and Moore says you need two kinds: internal and external.
“A writer automatically has internal accountability when it’s easy to show up at the page or the writing is going well,” she writes. But when the honeymoon period ends, you need an internal commitment to keep going. Fatigue, negative feedback, and our internal critics can push us off track. We want to quit.
External accountability can help us keep going, whether it’s an in-person writing group, online forum, or a class. It might take time to find the right one for you, but it’s worth it, Moore says.
