“Do it now! Often, ‘later’ becomes ‘never’.” Anonymous
Many people want to be successful writers, but many are not highly motivated enough. It sounds familiar, doesn’t it ?
Have you ever been in front of the computer for too long without hitting any buttons on the keyboard? Your mind seems to wonder everywhere but the things you are about to write itself.
If it did happen to you more often than not, what should you do? Let’s fan the flames of enthusiasm with the acronym of MOTIVATION:
M–ake yourself comfortable.
Be relax. Comfort is the key. Inspirations sprout in serenity ambience and a clear mind. Inspirations may come from any source, at times they come in my dream, that is at times when I feel relax and comfortable.
O–pen your eyes, your ears, your heart.
Observe your surroundings, even the little things may interest you and incite the drive. When I was in Jenolan Cave, New South Wales, Australia, and watched the stalagtite and stalagmite above, suddenly the urge to write was so overwhelming. As soon as I reached my apartment at Redfern, Sydney, I quickly opened my laptop and began to type.
T–ype as soon as possible.
Do not delay. When your creative juices are flowing fast do type them up as soon as possible. I do it from time to time. Even when I was in the middle of doing other writing project, when a new idea hit me, I would open up a new window on my screen and wrote it all down. Always keep your writing tools handy, i.e. laptop, iPad or tablet, or simply pen and paper.
I–ncrease your interest in writing by reading.
A highly motivated writer must have the love of reading. Reading increases your knowledge and writing skills in general. When you read the writing of others, it might ignite your interest to write your own piece. In my experience, whenever I read articles in tabloid, newspaper, magazine, or even blog, I find myself wanting to write as well.
V–alue your intimate divine relationship.
Never underestimate your spiritual life and relationship with God. For a start, include God in all your doings and prayer is always a good habit. When I was praying, sometimes God gave me wisdoms and inspirations to write my own stories.
A–sk for assistance.
Do not be hesitate to ask others for help especially when facing a problem that may inhibit your motivation. Everytime I meet any senior writers, I asked them the craft of writing. In my experience, they were helpful.
T–alk to the editor.
Do every effort possible to get to know the editor. They will not only help us to know the subject of articles they want to publish, but also the trend and current issues. Use BuzzSumo to learn about the trending topics so our writing can suit the need.
I–magine your books on best-seller lists.
Stephen R. Covey, in his book Seventh Habits of Highly Effective People gives us a good booster for writing: “Begin with the end in mind.” Imagine that one of your books is on best-seller list. This can motivate you to write enthusiastically. When my publisher called me to inform that my newest released book was on the best-seller list, I felt so glad launching that book project.
O–ccupy your leisure time with positive activities.
Positive activities bring good vibes and in turn will bring positive outcomes. I usually take the long holiday moment once a year to travel overseas. On these trips, I like to visit new destinations to trigger my passion in writing. That’s why when I am home after every of the trips I will do and begin my writing project.
N–od your head to new ideas, even the crazy ones.
Have you ever heard Herman Boerhaave? This Dutch medical doctor wrote a wellknown book titled Elemente Chemiae (Elements of Chemistry). Before he passed away in 1738, this botanist left his last legacy: a book titled The Onliest and The Deepest Secrets of The Medical Art. This 100 pages book was sealed so that no one had ever read it. The book went for auction and sold at $20,000.
Brought the book home, that highest bidder opened the mysterious book and very suprised to find that 99 pages out of a total of 100 pages was blank. On its last page, there’s a sentence written in bold says: “Keep your head cool, your feet warm, and you’ll make the best doctor poor.”
This eccentric biologist reminded me of the man behind ‘Mr. Bean’, Rowan Atkinson. He likes to pour out his daily activities on diaries. One Friday evening, when I was strolling through a London Court lane, I bought his book from a secondhand bookshop, and to date it still never fails to put smile on my face. It cheers me up and in a way skyrockets my ideas too.
Xavier Quentin Pranata, lecturer, writer and public speaker
