Question! Discussion! Dunno!

How do you stay motivated when writing a story?

Curious Star is curious, so please lemme know what it is you do that can help you write that extra word.

Comments

[Phaedra]

I wait until I feel guilty about the two people reading it.

[Harmony Pie]

I don’t.

Yeeeee

[Ice Star]

4721824
Welcome to what I do with my life!

[pokefreak13]

I set a goal for myself like, 'Write one page' and when I do it, I reward myself with a treat. Then when I'm done with whatever my reward is, I go back and edit the page.

[Not Enough Coffee]

I whip myself harder than Luna during the Tantabus episode if I'm a bad boy, and forget to write every single day.

[DwarvishPony]

I stare at the screen and deny myself sleep until I get a paragraph out.

[B_25]

write

[Equine Speed Runner]

I just write something down even if it seems terrible. Then I go over sometime later and write over it, until I get the quality I'd like.
(My only issue is actually finishing something, I get scenes but I find it really difficult to bridge them.)

[Stellar_]

4721824
Pretty much sums it up.

[Pickleless]

Be invested in the outcome of the characters/situation, not be in a bad place in real life, and have free time.
Talk to people about it, make it more relevant in your life so you think and plan about it more.
Don't get hung up or embarrassed about not having 10/10 quality and form and just write every good once in a while.
Have writing friends.
Care but don't care.
Fail.
Keep going for it~

[Pickleless]

4721824
This.

[Odd_Sarge]

4721824
Yeah, no arguments here.

[nebulaegalaxy]

I guess it depends on why I'm writing it/Who I'm writing it for.

4721824
oh, worm?

[SPark]

For me it varies... Getting paid to do it helps. I take pride in my professionalism when it comes to my commission work, so not letting myself down on that front is a massive motivator.

Other than that, the stories themselves either inspire me or they don't. I tend to not mind the dreaded writer's block. When it happens I move on to other things for a while, either other stories, or other pursuits entirely. This has led to long gaps in my writing in the past, but I don't think that's a bad thing.

But the fact that I can always push through the block when I'm getting paid to do it suggests that it's a little bit of a myth, tbh. One can always just write by actually wanting to write. It's the "actually wanting" that's the problem. Not thinking you should, or even thinking you should want to, or wanting to do it later or wanting to have already done it, but actually wanting to in that moment.

[Ice Star]

4721830
Oh noes D:
4721832
That sounds like a pretty good idea. And you can exploit it a lot since a page is about 400 words!
4721840
How productive. > : P
4721847
That's a somewhat familiar feel.
4721860
That's a thing I do too.
4721878
Is this how you write of a life story type thing?
4722115
write for me bby
4722923
My motivation usually isn't super fickle, and inspiration's usually good too, but sometimes there's rough patches, and I certainly don't get paid for shit, but professionalism is good. It's why a good portion of my blogs have made me come across as an angry drunk, when I'm most certainly not (and sober writing all of them).

Because professionalism! :D

[nebulaegalaxy]

4722974
I already did. Twice. You'll see.

[Ice Star]

4722976
i'd better
dangus

[nebulaegalaxy]

4722977
Hehehehe

[pokefreak13]

4722974
Yup!