Writing Guide // yventualip

motivation - actually writing the book

I've been there too - either feeling unsure about starting the book or halfway through it and losing my will to keep going. My recommendation if you're feeling like you genuinely don't want to write your book is to not write it. at least take a break for a while. it probably won't feel better just because you push yourself. You don't want to force yourself to keep writing and then hate writing altogether. that's what I did with Heart Beating For You, my schedule was too much and I began to get overwhelmed. Taking a break was good because now I feel like writing and making stuff for you guys again. 

motivation to start / continue

-make a playlist! it can get you in the mood to write and it's nice background to help you stay focused
-look at pictures / make a Pinterest board of inspiration
-find dialogue prompts or write down little moments that would fit in your story 
-give yourself a word goal for the writing session - I'm talking like 2-4 thousand, not 20 thousand. Whatever is a good number to you, there are no wrong answers. Pick something maybe slightly outside your comfort zone, and see if you can reach it!
-if the scene you're writing bores you, ask yourself how much it's needed. If it's boring you, it's probably gonna bore us. If you're feeling unmotivated on that part, skip to a part you want to write! You can bridge the gap later. 
-eat food. I forget to and then wonder why I can't think clearly, you'll be more focused.
-give yourself a deadline, that way it's something you actively put into your schedule
-find someone to talk to about your writing! it's always good to bounce ideas off each other. If your friend is excited about it it'll motivate you. thank you to the couple of people i always talk to about stuff who help keep me excited :). If you don't have anyone to talk to, message me! i always love hearing new ideas.

word count

I know a lot of people feel really frustrated when they don't have a high word count in their writing. I think a lot of the time, the problem is that people don't slow down enough in their writing. Sometimes it's good to give longer descriptions, more scenes, more inner turmoil. Sometimes describing actions, thoughts, other characters, can make your book feel more fleshed out and flow more nicely. having really strong dialogue and plot is great, but think of the other stuff as cushioning that and making it feel more human. It's okay for there to be plotlines that don't relate to getting two characters together. It's okay to write more development of the relationship before they're making out. it's always good to write too much because you can always cut it back. that's what editing is for :)

side note - if you have a scene you don't think is going to make it into the final book, don't delete it!! save it for later, in case you change your mind! always fun to have bonus scenes