I’ve been asked before how I stay motivated on projects. I’ve been part of numerous writing groups, and when classes end and there are no deadlines, I tend to continue working on my personal projects. So I thought I’d explain how you can, too, as best I can.

I thought first, maybe I’d tell you to fall in love with your work, but I remembered those days and weeks and months where I hated everything I wrote, every idea I had, and kept working anyway.

So then I thought, have a goal. Set deadlines. And then I remembered how many deadlines I’ve changed and altered. 

I sat here for a few days trying to figure how on earth I do stay motivated through all the hardships and failures. Then it hit me. It’s not about actively loving you work, or setting goals. It’s about remembering why you started, why you fell in love with the project originally, and why you picked up the pen (or in my case, set down the keyboard) in the first place.

When I first started writing, it was because there was a story brewing in my chest. I remember sitting down to begin VIRIDIS, knowing that I wanted to tell a personal story of hardship and trauma and redemption. I wanted to write a book with a character that represented a group I didn’t see represented before–asexual and aromantic folks–and a book about strength and friendships. The reason I fell in love with the idea was because I met with my characters and they told me their story, and it resonated with me in a way that made me pick up that pen and write those first few words. I wanted to create something I wish I could’ve read when I was younger, so I knew that I wasn’t broken, and follow a story that tackled things that truly connected with me. 

I think if you want to stay motivated, you need to remember why you decided writing this project in the first place. Was it because you loved the world? The characters? The story that connected it all? Was it because this character represented something you wish you could’ve seen before? Was it something else entirely? Find that reason that gave you the desire to write. Understand it. And hold onto it during the days you don’t feel motivated, or the days you dislike your work. 

For me, I love my characters. When I first finished VIRIDIS, I went through something akin to mourning, knowing that part of their story, their lives, was done. They would never be those characters again to me – I wouldn’t write them again as so young and naive. As I started the next books in the series, I was eager to see them grow, but I also felt like I owed it to them. They told me their story. They gave me everything. I had an obligation to tell it, and to tell it right. And I had an obligation to younger me, who would’ve loved to have read about an asexual character and understand herself a little sooner.

I suppose this isn’t exactly a step-by-step process. But what has kept me motivated over the years is that I truly love the reasons I had to pick up the pen. I love why I started writing. And even when I hated it, and everything I wrote, I gave myself space to vent those frustrations before getting back to work. Writing goes through stages, through rough patches and smooth. Rough drafts are awful, and final drafts are hard to conclude. Be kind to yourself, fellow authors. Some days will be more difficult than others. Remember why you started in the first place, though. Remember the story you wanted to tell. And when you’re ready, get back in that chair, and keep writing. 

All the best <3 

Lauren