5 Ways to Keep Yourself Going

So Wednesday's blog covered my determination to exercise (notice how I didn't refer to it in a temporary sense) and be a healthy person as well as the will of a writer.  Basically, I argued that writing is very much like the permanent aspects of our lives: health, wealth and love. I say these 3 things because most of us want to be healthy, financially sound and to find our life companion. And we want these things in a permanent aspect (eventually) as they tend to make our lives more enjoyable.

Writing in a way is very similar. How many long-term writers do you know who hate writing but do it because they have to? I'm willing to bet that not many because the truth of the matter is that writing rarely pays enough to hold the attention of those who don't truly enjoy it. For those of you who truly love writing but get stuck in the grind of it, this list is meant to put you back on track:

1)      Go back to the basics. Sometimes life becomes so convoluted with the writing, the rewriting, and the critiquing. And it only gets more complicated when you get an agent and/or get published. Go back and remember why you write, why you started to enjoy it.

2)      Be true to you. Writing is more than being published. For some, it is just an outlet or hobbie. For others, it is a career. If you find you don't like what you're doing, figure out what is missing or messing up your grove and toss it (ex: the panster who plots).

3)      Have fun. Writing is work, no ands, ifs or buts about it. Still, many writers do it because they love to tell a story or share a piece of a world. Enjoy what you do and find your rhythm. If you can have fun with it, the "work" portion tends to blend into the background noise.

4)      Share what you know. There are no set rules for writing. You need to do what works for you and most importantly, give back. We are all struggling to get better (even those on the NY Times Bestseller list) because times and readers change. In teaching others, you grow stronger and help fellow writers in the process. This can be really good if you're stuck in a rut or having trouble brainstorming.

5)      Surround yourself with positivity. This goes for any job/workplace. Have you ever known a writer who complains all the time and just seems to suck away all your energy? This industry is hard enough and there are a lot of obstacles out there (no matter what your goal). The "Negative Nancys/Neds" out there will only pull you down. The key is to be your own cheerleader and push your own limits. If you're the "Negative Nancy/Ned" in your group of writers, these words are for you: Believe in yourself. That's all you need as your writing is only as good as you believe it can be. If it's not there yet, keep writing and it will happen.

That's all for today, folks! Happy Friday and good luck writing!

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writer's Life, Writing Topics