Motivational Magic

Five easy ways to get yourself back on track when you’re straying from your goal:

1. Get some fresh air and exercise. A change of view is a miraculous thing. I find 35 minutes every morning for a short mountain hike and always come back with at least one good idea and sometimes more.

2. Take an hour and write a short piece. It can be an essay, a blog, a short story; whatever you prefer. Even a rough draft will remind you that you are a writer and you can do this.

3. Read a chapter of a book on the craft of writing. If you have identified your issue as struggling with dialogue, read about that. Another person’s point of view will sometimes give you a solution.

4. Go through your manuscript and find a place that you think works really well. Read it aloud, several times and revel in the success of that moment. Ask yourself how this section can help boost the quality of the other areas of your manuscript.

5. Visit online sources and listen to other people’s issues and solutions to similar dilemmas. Reaching out helps you realize that feeling a little stuck is part of every writer’s life.

Finally, remember that if you don’t believe in your abilities, who will? Be your own best advocate.