How I Stay Motivated As A Writer

• Writing
• Compulsion
• I like finishing things
• I can work on the next project
• Money
• Love of the game
• Reading

Writing

I write. I don’t write everyday and not everything I write is spectacular. I write lists of ideas and topics. Journal entries. Articles. short stories. Chapters of my novel. I edit. I’ve always got something going on. Even if I’m not writing, I’m thinking about specific writing projects, mentally trying to work through a plotline, trying to figure out a post schedule, a reading schedule. Something about my work as a writer is always going on mentally. 

This does not mean I don’t take breaks. That’s a lie. Physically, I take breaks. Mentally, I’m always working. As I said, I don’t write everyday. I do write something most days. 

Compulsion

The power of compulsion compels you. I am motivated by pure compulsion…probably some mental illness…and a little neurodivergecy. The characters’ voices don’t quit. So, neither do I. Am I convinced this is what motivates all writers? Yes. If you do it as a career, yes. Most writers will never make enough money to quit their day job, but we will still write. We write as a hobby, write for relaxation. We write because we have to. We can’t stop. What else are we gonna do with our time? 

When I’m not writing, I’m meandering on social media, reading, or staring at the wall. In that order. (Staring at the wall is relaxing. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.) Reading for me is both a hobby and a …bigger hobby??? because I’ve started doing reviews. (I was going to say job, but I don’t get paid. So…)

I like finishing things

There is no joy like the feeling of completing a project. I have a list of projects I want to start, books of projects I need to edit, and others in my computer that I am editing. And once I get through all of that, and finish everything, it is over for you bitches!!!

It is one of my goals to be a prolific short story writer. I’d say novelist, but I really only have one novel idea. My Demon Cleaner series. But I have a bunch of short story ideas. Spanish author Maria Lopez wrote around 4,000 novels. She’s on record as the most prolific novelist. Anton Chekoz wrote over 500 short stories and is believed to be the most prolific short story writer. I may not reach that number in my lifetime, but there’s no harm in trying. 

Every time I complete a story, completely written, edited, published, every time that happens…the feeling…if you’ve never done it, I can’t explain it. There is such an exhilaration, a high that is unmatched by anything.  

I can work on the next project

Not only is that project done, it is off my list and I can work on the next project. I always have a project to work on. Always. I mean that literally. Especially, now that I’ve gotten over the blocks I placed in front of myself, my world and list had opened up. With that, there will never be a time where I just don’t write. So long as I can speak or type, I will write. The thoughts have to come out. I can’t just be mentally constipated. That’s how  you blow a lobe. 

Fear of a blank page is nothing to me. I buy notebooks to destress. If you put me in a room full of blank paper, I’ll scribble all over that shit. I’ve got dialogue, pieces of scenes, five minute exercises, chapters, everything running around up here. The only thing stopping me is that I can’t write more than one thing at a time. While I’m writing this post, I’m thinking about all of the other things I need to be working on. I’m thinking about my next post, the edits I’ll have to do on this post, etc. 

Money

I wrote this then laughed hysterically. I wish money could be a motivating factor. I really do. The reality is, most writers do not make enough to support their lifestyle. Even when you think someone “made it” because they’re published, they’re winning awards, they’re doing conventions and big things, selling books. All of those things may bring temporary bumps in income, but not a real, life-changing cash flow. I know this because authors I admire, who are doing all the things that I want to do, who have checked off all the boxes that I want to check off, have been transparent about their income and their status. I’m not gonna lie, it’s disheartening. 

Being on the NYT bestsellers list might give you a sudden 40k boost, but that’s not enough to quit your job on. That may be enough to pay your bills for the year, depending on what kind of income you’re living on, but unless you’re seeing that number consistently, you’re gonna be back to your job. Maybe you’ll be able to work 40 hours instead of your regular 60 so you have more time to write another bestseller. 

If you’ve never seen VH1’s Behind the Music, go watch it. It’s eye-opening. Talking to writers and authors who are transparent about the business will teach you a lot about appearances. I can’t remember where I read it, but I read writers don’t start making money until they’re about seven books in. Stephen King sold Carrie for 200k. By that time, he was already 10 or 20 years in and had sold a bunch of short stories. It was a life-changing amount of money that allowed him to keep writing in order to sustain it. 

If you’re hoping money will motivate you to write, it won’t. Still try for that. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to turn your writing into a business, but…

Our jobs sustain our writing and our lifestyle. It could take years or even decades for your writing to come through financially. I would love to quit my job and write everything in my head and let that pay my rent, but until then, I gotta keep my job. I can’t be homeless. What happens to all my notebooks? That’s a lot of work that I can’t redo because I don’t remember everything that’s in them.

Love of the game

I enjoy writing. That may be the ultimate motivation. I really like writing. I prefer to write on paper, but If I’m going to publish something, I’m learning to write on my Boox tablet with a stylus to save untold amounts of time. I still write journal entries and story notes on paper. (Gotta have pen and paper.) I like talking about writing. Writing techniques. Writing apps. Writing tools. Any and everything writing, I’m into it. 

I’m finding that I also enjoy writing articles. I’m learning to format them in ways that suit my thinking and focus. (A problem I struggled with as a student.) It’s possible I could write a non-fiction book if it’s about writing or politics. (I may add that to my list.) I’ve always wanted to be an essayist (mostly because my favorite writers also wrote essays.) I’ve recently started reading more articles which has helped my own article-writing. (You really have to read what you want to write, I swear.)

Reading

Speaking of…Reading motivates me to write. Reading doesn’t motivate everyone to write, but I’m a writer. It motivates me. Sometimes I read something so well-written it makes me want to be a better writer. It’s like a gymnast watching Biles. LInes, scenes, characters spark ideas that make me pick up a pen and paper, or make me rethink something I’ve written. The “what ifs” start flying. Some things make me wonder how deeply I’m willing to dig within myself for my own writing, how uncomfortable I’m willing to make myself in pursuit of my own stories. 

Those are the times I’m really sitting down and examining what type of writer I want to be, what kind of work I want to be known for and how much healing I need to do before I put these characters and words on paper and hit publish. 

The kind of work that makes me have those moments is the kind of work I want to write. That’s the goal. 

I’m Nadi Abdi, author of Power of the People: The Demon Cleaner book one. And this is my blog on writing, publishing, and other lit biz shit. Follow my blog or follow my Substack for Demon Cleaner short stories and updates and where I publish reviews for Black Women in Fantasy.