How To Stay Committed To Writing

How many times have you started writing and then given up? If the answer is not even a single time, then this information may not be useful to you, but for the rest, read on. Writing a book is about staying committed but what do we do to stay committed? Let’s look at few challenges and few actions, which when taken, keeps us on track.
Challenge 1: Negative self-talk – The number one reason for quitting is our negative self-talk. Negative inner voice affects us in all areas of our lives, and so does it in our writing endeavors. Self-defeating thoughts like, “Oh, my book is not as good as J.K. Rowling’s!” or “Oh, my book lacks the suspense element, which Jeffrey Archer’s books have!” or “Come on, who will read this?” are few reasons for quitting. Stop comparing and quit underestimating yourself. You were not created in comparison to someone, so there is no reason why you should compare your creation to someone’s. Your unique creation could make you a bestseller. So, appreciate your work and be confident about it.
Challenge 2: Language – Believe it or not, all of us think in a particular language. Go ahead check. Now that you agree, you would realize that it is a bit more challenging to write an English novel, if you think in some other language. This is not only because you have to write in English, but also the fact that you have to translate your thoughts. This applies to any language, while English is just taken as an example. But don’t lose heart. Start writing in whatever language you feel comfortable, because translating is a lesser challenge than writing.
Now-a-days even Microsoft Word has translators, so translating is a simple job. You can have your work translated later or better still sell in your regional language. Let this never be a reason to quit.
Now that we are aware of the two major challenges, the next step is to take some action.
Action 1: 100 words a day – Have a target of 100 words per day. It is a good start and you can gradually increase it to reach a comfortable pace. If you feel that 100 words are too much then start at 50. The number is not as important as the action of getting the words written down. So, decide a number, start now and slowly increase your pace.
Action 2: Fight Lethargy – Once you have made up your mind to write then let nothing come in between you and your 100 words. You may feel that you are out of ideas or that you just want to take a break but keep yourself in check. You may have a genuine work or engagement; in such cases schedule your work. Even if you feel you are out of ideas, just go ahead and pen down 100 words. You can edit it the next day. By doing this you send a message to your mind and body that you will keep up to it and not swerve from your intended path. That is true commitment!
Writing is actually easier than you think. Remember the challenges that we discussed and handle them effectively. Although, there is no hard or fast rule, but any book with words greater than 40,000, is considered a novel size book. So, if you write daily and gradually increase your pace, you could create a novel within 4-6 months. How does that sound? Use as many words as you wish to tell your story, keep writing and enjoy the process.