6 Ways To Maintain Your Writing Momentum

What is writing momentum?

When you begin a writing project, it can be an exciting time. Your mind is full of ideas, you feel inspired, and the words pour onto the page. You’re on fire!

If you’re working on a long project like a book, however, it can become challenging to keep going once the initial excitement fades. I’m sure there are many great manuscripts lying half-finished in drawers or computer folders.

How do you make sure your book doesn’t end up that way?

The enemies of any writer are lack of time, procrastination, writer’s block, boredom, and an inability to see the way all to the end.

Let’s stop for a moment and consider whether any of these things are an issue for you. Can you resonate with any of these? Don’t worry if you can, fear is never good for creativity. Instead, let’s look at how you can maintain your writing momentum:

How to maintain your writing momentum

• Create space and time. Having a dedicated writing space can boost your motivation as your mind will come to associate that area with writing. It doesn’t have to be a room or dedicated office. It can be a cosy nook somewhere or even the end of your dining room table.

• Visualise your dream. If you’re a writer, your imagination is your superpower. Use it to visualise. For example, imagine yourself holding your book in your hands. If you write shorter pieces or blogs, you could visualise yourself winning a competition or a blogging prize. Focus on the outcome you desire and use that to push through any slumps or moments of doubt.

• Keep your eyes on the goal. Set goals that reflect your dream and use them to break down a big project into smaller milestones – it will give you regular feelings of achievement. Make goals as specific as possible and set deadlines that are realistic but will stretch you. It can be easier to find motivation when you’re up against an imminent deadline!

• Start small. You may feel overwhelmed if you sit down to write an 80,000-word book. It’s a mountainous goal, and it can cause you to procrastinate. Suddenly, organising your bookshelf seems very appealing! To prevent this, tell yourself you’ll write just 50 words and see how you feel. By the time you’re done, you should be in the flow and want to keep going. If not, tell yourself you’ll write just 50 more and keep repeating this over and over until you hit your target. Stephen Guise refers to this in his book Mini Habits: Smaller Habits. Bigger Results.

• Shovel sand. When writing your first draft, concentrate on getting the words on the page and worry about getting it right later. Think of your first draft like shovelling sand into a sandpit and the editing stage as your chance to craft your sandcastle. Don’t stop to check your work until that first draft is complete and don’t edit as you go. Doing so can cause writer’s block and will disrupt your flow.

• Shake it up. If boredom’s your problem, or your imagination is becoming stagnant, writing prompts could be your answer. I share a weekly writing prompt every Wednesday in my Facebook Group if you want to have a go. Working on something different can recharge your creativity. Think of a prompt like a warm-up exercise for your brain.

Experiment with these tips and see which ones work for you. Keep believing and keep going and you could be holding your published book in your hands by the end of the year.

‘If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.’ William Arthur Ward

Are you ready to start writing your book and maintain your momentum?

If you need a little extra push when it comes to your writing momentum then check out my Accountability Mentorship. This is a monthly service where you write your book at your own pace with an accountability partner. The cost includes a 1:1 monthly call and a monthly co-writing session, honest feedback and full support.

For £49 a month, you could benefit from all of the above as well as full access to a best-selling author and writing mentor.

Find out more about my membership HERE, or get in touch for a chat.