Staying Motivated

Hi, everyone! It’s a pleasure to be participating in this “Tips and Tricks” fun!  For my turn, I thought I would talk about motivation.  I mean, writing is fun—please, don’t get me wrong on that! It’s an absolute dream job. But everyone can use a little motivation now and then.  ESPECIALLY writers.  Our profession is very solitary. In order to stay at the best level of performance, we all must remain motivated!

So here are a few of my tips:

1. Don’t write alone.  One of the best ways to get inspired to write (get those words on the page, baby!) is to write with other authors.  I love signing on to Twitter and asking other writers to participate in the #1k1hr fun with me (that’s writing 1,000 words in an hour). When several authors all sign up to write at the same time, it’s a great method of accountability.  At the end of the hour, you can celebrate your progress…and then feel energized to keep going for another #1k1hr.
2. Reward yourself.  When you hit a particular word count (whether it’s finishing a chapter or even finishing a book), be sure to reward yourself. Positive reinforcement is the best!  I like to reward myself with good books to read.  If I finish 100 pages of text, then I can take a break and read a new thriller.  Or if I finish a book, then I can finally read that big pile of great TBRs that I collected over the last month while I was writing. (This is a little side note—I rarely ever read within my own genre when I am actually writing—I save all of the romances as my “reward reads” when I am done with a book.)
3. Feel the beat, baby! If you’re sitting at the computer and the words just won’t come, then take a music break. Listen to music. Dance to the beat. Just get lost for a little while. Music can relax and refresh you. By the time the song is over, you can try attacking that story again.  For me, I like to listen to music that will set the scene I want to write. For example, if I am about to write an intense action scene, then I want to listen to some hard, pounding music.
4. Surround yourself with things that make you happy. At my desk, I’ve got all kinds of little goodies—dragons, Snoopy figurines, and even snow globes that include covers of my books. I made my desk area into my writing sanctuary. When I sit down, I can’t help but smile. I want to work at my desk, and being in that right frame of mind makes a huge difference to me.

So there you have it. A few of my tips and tricks for staying motivated.  If you’ve got some tips to share, please do!  And best of luck to you on your writing endeavors!

Cynthia Eden

www.cynthiaeden.com

New York Times & USA Today best-selling author

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Mine to Have

Mine #5

A little about Cynthia:

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is aNew York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, andIndieReader best-seller.  Cynthia is also a two-time finalist for the RITA® award (she was a finalist both in the romantic suspense category and in the paranormal romance category). Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over thirty novels and novellas.

Cynthia is a “hybrid” author. She has published extensively with New York (her New York publishers include Kensington, Grand Central, and Harlequin), and she has also enjoyed success in her indie writing career.

Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate.  Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.

You can find Cynthia chatting daily on Twitter or on herFacebook page.

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