Having Motivation Troubles?

Give yourself a deadline!

One of the things I struggle with as a beginning writer is finding the motivation to write. I have pens, paper, ideas, a laptop, a printer and... really what other things do I need? Life in general it seems, always gets in the way of writing. I must schedual some regular writing time. Once I create my schedule, which is something else I have to do @_@!

Other things such as rent, bills, assignments, exams etc always have a deadline. In the past, a deadline for a competition was a great time to have a piece of writing finished. I don't write enough to try and make a living out of it. I am not such a prolific writer that I have a collection of works waiting for the right opportunity to jump up and yell, "HEY DANCEY THIS IS WHY YOU WROTE ME!"

So I have given myself another deadline. I am entering the Young Writers Award Competition for a second time. The first time was in 2006.

"Submit your short story between 21 May and 16 Jul for your chance to win."

I will begin a countdown, write it in big numbers and stick it above my Laptop. I won't countdown on here because I only blog about once a month. Though I may post updates on my progress.

THE big thing about having a deadline is making yourself accountable. It is so easy to pick any old day to be a deadline. Along comes the day and you have a million and one excuses ready to explain to yourself why you havn't finished. Being accountable to someone else - if you tell one person who you know will ask about it, that helps keep you in check. If you tell a whole bunch of people! Now thats pressure. That is what kept Magda Szubanski from 'Kath & Kim' accountable when she went public about her trying the weight loss program of 'Jenny Craig'. It helped her lose weight and save her own life. Writing, most of the time, is not life and death. But without accountability, there is no point in deadlines.

Dancey