Keep the Momentum Going

by Mindy Obenhaus
When writing a book or tackling any big project, there’s always that initial excitement. We’re champing at the bit, eager to get started. The gate opens and we’re gone. We plow through chapters one, two and three before heading into the turning points of chapters five and six. Then, we find ourselves a little winded. We lose focus and wonder which direction we were heading. What’s going to happen next? What am I doing?
Doubt soon sets in. It just isn’t working. This was a horrible idea. I can’t do it. Before we know it, the whole process feels more like a chore and we're ready to give up.
We’ve all been there. We whine, we cry, we want to start over with another story. Because let’s face it, there’s no better feeling than new-story love. It’s bright and shiny, perfect in every way. Until you get to that sagging middle.
So today I thought I'd share some tips to help you stay on track with your story.
Plan ahead – Both long-term and short-term. Long-term involves plotting (the pansters just cringed) or at least having a list of things that you want/need to happen during the course of the story. A roadmap that will keep you heading in the right direction.
Short-term are those breaks between writing sessions. Ponder the next scene. Setting, dialog, conflict. I get some of my best ideas when I’m doing mundane things like loading the dishwasher, doing laundry or getting ready for bed. Make notes on your phone or a notepad that will rekindle that same enthusiasm the next time you sit down to write. Optimum performance times – When are you most productive in your writing? After breakfast or after lunch? Late at night after everyone else has gone to bed? Or early in the morning when you’re the only one awake? Do you write well when there’s a lot of activity going on around you? Or do you prefer quiet?


It took me a while to realize that I always write better after lunch than I do in the morning. As a full-time author, though, that doesn’t mean I get to take mornings off. Instead, I use mornings for all of those other things the writer’s life entails. Email, social media, blogging, post office runs… By getting all of those other things off of my plate, I’m free to write all afternoon without anything hanging over my head. If I try to write, knowing there’s a list of things I still need to tackle, guess where my mind is? It’s on that list, not my characters.
Figure out your optimum performance time and you’ll be more productive.
Brainstorm – Talking through your story with someone else can reignite that flame of excitement, make you eager to get back to work and head right on into that final stretch.
Reward yourself – Is there something you really want to do, but you know you have to get a scene written? Use that as your motivation. Maybe you’re reading a book you can’t wait to get back to. Same thing. Push through that scene or word count, then treat yourself to a reward. Go wander through your favorite store or dive back into that book you’ve been reading with no guilt hanging over your head. 
Step away – There are times when the words simply get stuck. Or we can’t wrap our brain around a particular scene. Give yourself permission to walk away. Step outside for some fresh air, read or do some research for your story. Sometimes just taking that little break and redirecting your mind will cause the floodgates to open. And before you know it, you’re off and running again.
Writing for publication, particularly if you're on deadline, takes determination and sticktoitiveness. But if you can keep the momentum going, you'll soon find yourself racing across the finish line.

What motivates you to push through a difficult project? Leave a comment to be entered to win an advanced copy of my July release, A Father’s Promise. (US mailing addresses only, please)
Is he ready for fatherhood?
He doesn’t think he deserves a family… But now he has a daughter.
Stunned to discover he has a child, Wes Bishop isn’t sure he’s father material. But his adorable daughter needs him, and he can’t help feeling drawn to her mother, Laurel Donovan—a woman he’s finally getting to know. But can this sudden dad overcome a past tragedy that has him convinced he’s not meant to be a husband or a father…and make a promise of forever?

Three-time Carol Award finalist, She’s a multi-published author of contemporary Christian romance, and lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com