Posted on by Denise Hartzler · 1 Comment

Motivational Writing Tips: Part II

In last week’s post, we discussed getting into a motivational mindset for any writer struggling or needing a reset. Now is the perfect time to shift your mindset from struggling to striving because the seasons are about to change, and NaNoWriMo preparation month is only a few weeks away! 

This week, let’s focus on the next four steps in our 12 steps of cultivating a positive writer’s mindset. Here we go:

4. Morning Routine: You will hear this in every motivational mindset training known to humankind. Ask any successful person, and they will tell you that they have a non-negotiable morning routine – it is a routine that they rarely skip out on and never apologize for having. This routine travels with them as well. Hotels. Family vacations. Bad weather. Good weather. There are no excuses for skipping out on their morning routine. Starting your day with prayers, positive affirmations, exercise, journaling, or watching the sun rise has endless benefits on your mindset. It sets a positive tone for the day. It may feel like the only positive thing that happens on some days! It may be the only task you accomplish on some days. But again, it sets the tone for the day. Make your morning routine positive and non-negotiable. If you don’t feel like getting out of bed, do the Mel Robbins 5-4-3-2-1 countdown. Remember your ‘why’ ~ remind yourself why you are getting out of bed.

5. Visualize Success: I am new to practicing visualizing (or manifesting). It follows the general law of attraction. If you can see it, you can be it. I encourage you to visualize your writing success. Imagine the accomplishment and joy you’ll feel when you complete your writing project. Several authors I know take pictures of themselves sitting on a mini-stage in Barnes and Noble. They imagine what it will be like when they are a guest speaker reading from their novel. Once you have your success image, have faith that God (or whatever higher power you believe in) will make it bigger than you can imagine. I often talk about ways to serve others with or without commercial success. After all, helping someone who is facing a struggle or is just beginning something you have been working on for years is what we need in this world, especially now more than ever.

6. Practice Self-Compassion: Writing can be challenging, and setbacks are a normal part of the process. I encourage you to practice self-compassion and treat yourself with the same kindness you would offer to a friend. I listened to a conversation with Matthew McConaughey last week in which he talks about how to be the best version of ourselves to serve others. The biggest takeaway was when he said, “We must learn how to be selfish to be selfless.” It was a simple statement, but it is heavily weighted in truth. To be the best versions of ourselves, we must take care of ourselves first, and then we can help others. We can serve other’s needs because most of ours have been met. Think about what needs you have right now. For me, my physical health needs attention. I need to overhaul how I eat for my body to feel well. So, I have to comfort myself by giving it organic foods that will fuel me rather than the inflammation. All summer, I’ve been practicing mindfulness. I’m taking time to pray and journal at sunrise. This small 30-minute practice gives my anxious brain time to be calm. It gives me time to breathe in peace. Another trick by Mel Robbins is the High-5 habit. Every morning, she looks herself in the eye in the bathroom mirror and gives herself a high-5 – physically touching her hand to the mirror. Giving yourself this type of encouragement is a form of self-compassion. It feels awkward at first, but it can be powerful.

7. Find Inspiration: If you are stuck in a writing rut, I want to help you discover sources of inspiration. Whether reading other authors’ work, exploring new genres, or taking nature walks, finding what fuels your creativity can make the writing journey more enjoyable. If you are tired of walking in nature or around your neighborhood, go to a coffee shop in a nearby metropolitan area and people-watch. Immerse yourself in a new environment. Take a journal with you to capture the moment using all five senses. And vice-versa. If you live in a city, go to a nearby park. Taking an informational course can be inspirational to your writing. Seek out free online seminars about topics you always wanted to learn about. I have a very active public library that always hosts hands-on workshops or lectures, and it’s all free. One day, I found an old church and asked if I could sit in the chapel. I sat there for nearly an hour, taking in the stained glass windows, listening to the pew creaking under my shifting weight, and noticing the smell of frankincense and lemon polish. If there’s one thing I am sure about, it’s that to find inspiration, we must unplug. Unplug from the phones and the noise of the world (even if it’s positive). Start by taking a few minutes and then a few hours, eventually taking breaks for an entire day. It will feel good, I promise. You might have some anxiety initially, but the more you ditch the noise, the calmer you will feel.

This mini-series aims to bring you closer to your writing dreams and help you breathe new life into your writing life. Making subtle shifts can have profound effects on your life. Come back next week for the final four tips! 

I’d love to hear if any of these tips resonate with you and if you have tried them or plan to give them a shot! Remember, writing is a journey worth sharing.

Posted on by Denise Hartzler

Feeling like a static character?

The number one way readers judge characters is by how much they change. Do they change, or are they static? Most characters must change, especially the main character, but what about others characters in a story? Do they all change? No matter how slight of a shift, all characters should change. If they don’t, they risk not being in the story.

Static characters got me thinking about writing and writing habits. Has your writing changed over these last few years? Have your habits remained static? Is the thought of writing word after word too heavy? If so, how do we push or pull ourselves out of this rut? 

We must start by being honest. Ask yourself these questions and take time to ponder them: 

  1. Have you weighed yourself down with studying the craft of writing to the point of never putting it into practice? Learning the art of writing is essential. It must never stop, but it must not prevent you from starting or restarting your writing. I tell my students that we can study all week long, but we have to put what we are learning into practice at some point. It’s the only way to evolve. 
  2. Who is sitting at your table? In other words, who surrounds you? Are you feeding those around you more than you are feeding yourself? Are others starving you? Are the people you spend time with and energy on a time suck? It’s a tricky question to answer, and it can be painful. Too often, we find it easy to put others and their needs before our own. If you find yourself in one of these roles, it becomes even more tricky: a parent, a spouse, a caretaker, a teacher, a mentor, or a coach. These roles make it hard for us to find and take care of ourselves or our writing careers. We feel guilting saying ‘no’ to others to the point of sacrificing our dreams and energy. Writing requires creating boundaries. If you continue offering your time [and energy] helping others achieve their dreams, that book or blog may never come to reality.  Note: I am not saying don’t take care of your children or elderly parents or a loved one that needs your help, but you should find carve out some time for yourself and writing – trust me, it’ll be hard at first, but rewarding in the end. 
  3. Are you consistent and disciplined? Discipline and consistency – two keys to a fulfilled writing life. You must be intentional with your writing and your time. Show up to the page no matter what! If you have the best ideas and your energy is high early in the morning before the world around awakes, set the alarm, get up, splash some water on your face, drink some water or coffee or tea and sit down to write. Even if it’s too early for the screen, show up for the page. I love writing with a good ol’ BiC ballpoint pen or pencil on paper. It’s less strain on my eyes. Once you begin to show up, be disciplined and consistent, I guarantee you’ll feel a shift. Tip: plan out the night before what you want to write. It’s takes away the distraction or the temptation to procrastinate. 
  4. What frightens you? For years I was afraid. I was fearful of what others thought about my writing. In the last few years, I’ve matured enough to know that I wasted too much time worrying about letting others down that I can confidently say I’ve let my characters down. I’ve let my ideas down. I let myself down. It has nothing to do with other people; it has everything to do with yourself. I know this sounds selfish, but after all, you are writing a story because something happened to you or you have something to say. Get it on paper. Find some trustworthy sets of eyes to read what you write. Now you may be thinking I’m too afraid to share what I write because ‘what if someone steals my ideas or my words?’ Most writers I know, I trust. I have a small circle of writer friends that I send work to because we’ve built trust. How? We’ve met at several writing retreats, we write in different genres (same age group), and we encourage each other through the hard times. I’ve removed the fear of someone stealing my story or ideas. Yes, this is a valid concern! However, it shouldn’t stop you from sharing your work when you need professional and honest feedback (this comes back to point #2, you may need to find a new table). So again, assess what is scaring you from getting your work out in the real world. I won’t go into the traditional v self-publishing debate but work on conquering your fears so your stories can find a home in someone else’s hands.
  5. Do you start and stop? I am a chronic starter. I am an ideas person. I tried to blame it on my Gemini nature, but one day I laid out all the manuscripts I have started on my bed. These stacks of unfinished works took up a queen-size bed. The number of unfinished manuscripts was staggering! Talk about a slap-in-the-face dose of reality. I sat in that mess. I owned that mess. Once the self-berating emotions stopped, I made a pivot. I took sticky notes and began to write the good qualities of each manuscript, along with being honest about why I stopped. Some didn’t work. Others, I lost interest in the storyline. Some got stuck with too many plot holes, and I couldn’t find a way to fix them. In the end, there were less than four that I put aside. These are the ones I genuinely want to see published. Sometimes, we have to face the mess and begin to clean it up. If you are a chronic starter, it’s time to get honest with yourself. Ask yourself, why do I start and not finish? Am I a perfectionist, which is nothing more than fear in disguise? Do I have a genuine interest in writing? Do I have depression or ADD, something that is physically stopping me from producing a project? These are all valid reasons why people quit. You first need to face it head-on and ask for guidance or help. 

Every little change will evolve you from being a static writer to a productive writer. Most importantly, I want you to be gentle with yourself. We all make mistakes. We all trip and stumble and fall. Don’t quit on your writing! Don’t quit on your writing dreams!

Which one will you focus on to help you get out of a writing rut? If you have other helpful hints to move out of a slump, please share! After all, writing is a journey meant to be shared.

Be sure to check out my Writers on Task journal. This simple, easy-to-follow journal can keep you moving towards your writing goals.