How do you guys stay motivated? - Comments

@the dalliance: It's so frustrating! I'm okay with outlines until the later chapters because I always stray away from the outline. And I just suck at making them!

Thanks for the advice, reading books usually get me inspired to write, but when it comes to actually turning that inspiration to use it just doesn't go anywhere. Maybe I should sit down and write instead of just thinking about it xD

@Timeless: I'd say they're pretty basic. One of the plots for one of my stories was supposed to be of the variety where two friends drift away after the death of a friend.

This sounds so like me. I'm literally three chapters in and my motivation has bit the dust. Outlines never work for me. Everything is just bouncing around in my head and I have no way to even begin translating it. Outlines also make me less motivated to write the story.

One thing I do is listen to music that fits the mood of what I'm writing. It gets me in the zone to write at least something. Another thing I do is read a book in that same genre or has similarities between them. Reading always gets my hands twitching to write. But if all else fails after days maybe even weeks or months, I force myself to sit down and write until the crap turns into gold.

If I may, how basic are your plots?

@Timeless: Thanks! I usually use music to begin my stories, or use it as a basis for the plot.

I just get stuck as the story progress and it's so frustrating!

Motivation is a tricky mistress. The way I write is I listen to music, close my eyes and think about my story. I don't think of everything in one day, I'm simply not that amazing. No, instead I get the general idea of what my story will be. What keeps me writing is I don't know the whole story yet because my characters have yet to tell me.

Another way to help you write is to interview your characters. What's their name? How old are they? What's their favorite color? Who was their first love? Ask everything and anything because once you know your characters I find you discover things about their stories. :)

I don't know if this really helps, but this is what I do when I'm stuck and can't think to write. Message me if you have any other questions :) I'm happy to help.