I’ve been hanging out on a Twitter for a few months and occasionally I like to ask about the hardest part of being a writer.
The majority of you say self-doubt and writers block. Coincidentally I think one is the answer to the other.
The more you write the better writer you will become. If you are able to consistently write then you will reliably get better. The more you write the more words will come. Writing begets more writing.
Write and the doubt will fade.
So the question is:
How Do You Motivate Yourself to Write?
I’ve been recently reading Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.
This is one of those books that always seems to end up at the top of lists for best books on writing. I thought it was high time that I read it and I can say after reading about 30% it has been inspiring, instructive, and motivating.
Writing Down the Bones is a beautiful collection of essay like chapters that quickly draw you into the center of what it means to write. Filled with tons of exercises and strategies for developing a writing practice, Goldberg efficiently provides a framework for the consistency that we are looking for.
One of my favorite sections speaks on the power and importance of first thoughts.
First thoughts are the things that come to us suddenly and in the moment. They are the lost stories that come to us in the shower, on a walk, or in our dreams when our brain is most still.
These first thoughts are essential moments that are easy to capture because of their Polaroid like quality. Their instantaneousness and presence in the moment allows us to draw the most detailed rendering on the keyboard.
Goldberg says:
Why else are first thoughts so energizing? Because they have to do with freshness and inspiration. Inspiration means “breathing in.” Breathing in God. You actually become larger than yourself, and first thoughts are present…The present is imbued with tremendous energy. It is what is.
My friend who is a Buddhist said once after coming out of a meditation retreat, “The colors were so much more vibrant afterward.” Her meditation teacher said, “When you are present, the world is truly alive.”1
So how can you motivate yourself to write? Allow yourself to be immersed in the moment. Write what you know, write what you see, write what you think— no matter how odd, obscure, strange, illogical, or mundane it may be.
There is a special magic in being here— in the now.
So if you don’t mind, take out a pen and paper and for 20 minutes write your responses to the following prompts:
Close your eyes and listen. What do you hear around you? Describe the sounds. Are they pleasant? Comforting? Annoying? How does it make you feel? What does it remind you of?
Describe the last dream you had. What colors were you dreaming in? What was the mood and tone? How did you feel? What did you see? Do you have any recurring dreams? Describe them and why you think they keeping coming back?
What is the number one thing you are most grateful for? How does that feeling or thing smell, taste, look, feel, and sound? How can you describe that feeling in a physical and metaphorical way?
Use this exercise in your daily writing practice. Allow Yourself to become more present and focused in your writing. It will help you build the habit if you take away the pressure of creating something incredible and permit yourself to write something that is true and real and present. Take in the moment and you’ll find yourself writing more easily, more consistently, and more confidently.
Goldberg, Natalie. Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within. Shambhala, 2016. Kindle edition.