# Motivation tips?



## Chad Firepaws (Oct 15, 2020)

No, this isn't writer's block, I know what I'm writing about. The problem is, I find it hard to sit down for 4 hours and crank out a short story. (Usually the amount of time I spend on a story) My ideas seem to bounce all over the place and by the time I've sat down to write, I've got a completely different idea in my head. I also suffer from the compulsion to add excessive detail to my story, like adding an elaborate backstory to every character in what was supposed to be a 200 word story, thus making it 1000 words +.

Any tips on how to stay focused and not get distracted while writing?


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## Mambi (Oct 15, 2020)

Only this: when that happens to me, I stop writing but start daydreaming. Specifically I dream about the world I'm trying to create. No pressures, no plots, just let your dreams flow. Then after the fact I try to look back and see what elements were coherent and interesting to whatever world I'm trying to build up. 

See once you're written something down, you feel a pressure to build on that...even if you erase it later on. But by free-dreaming and imagining things purposely chaotically first, you have the plot almost built before you start the nect section. Then just write what you saw in your head.


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## cowboi (Oct 15, 2020)

I love what Mambi said. That’s awesome and honestly what I do 90% of the time (just space out and daydream and generally just zone out lol).
When I write, I try to listen to music that gets me in the mood. I’m working on a noir story and really get into the zone listening to the LA Noire soundtrack, for example. So maybe depending on the genre you could find soundtrack music or orchestral that can help get you in the exact mindset/mood!


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## Sir Thaikard (Oct 15, 2020)

Taking frequent breaks helps, or at least, changing gears.

I'll write for 100 words/half an hour/significant checkpoint for one of my clients, then switch to editing a 1000 words for my book, then wash the dishes for the length of a TedTalk, then back to the story.

It does have the potential to be end up being muddled but I find that overall I end up being much more productive with all tasks involved.


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## Cosmic-FS (Oct 15, 2020)

_First off let me preface by saying that the techniques I'm sharing are purely form personal experience. I know they work for me, but they may or may not work for you. I encourage you experiment._

When it comes to motivation for me, I find the best thing is to stick to a rigid schedule. I write at the same time for the same amount of time every day. I get home at about 6:20, decompress for a bit, and then I start writing at 6:30. Then I don't stop writing until 8:30. It gets to the point that it's a routine in my head and I can enter a kind of headspace. When the clock strikes 6:30 I'm like, "Okay, now I'm in WRITING MODE."

Another thing I do to keep myself focused is to essentially wedge myself in a corner. I took some advice from Stephen King's book _On Writing_. In it, King talked about when he was starting out he wrote in a tiny desk in his laundry closet and that he always dreamed of having a big fancy open desk in a big fancy open office to write on when he made it big. When he finally did make it big and he got that desk in that big office, and he discovered that he couldn't get any work. All that open space made his mind wonder and he couldn't get anything done. Eventually he brought his old desk back and stuffed it in a corner, and his work greatly improved. There's something about being wedged in a corner that helps you focus. I thought that was some good advice and I tried it out myself.

You wanna know where I write? I write while lying down in my bathtub. I am 100% serious, that is where I write. At 6:30 I lay down some pillow in my bathtub, grab my notebook and pin, and get to work. And you know what? It helps. So don't be afraid to try out some weird techniques if you think it will help you.


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## Toby_Morpheus (Oct 15, 2020)

Some good droning, high bpm music does it for me
If I wanna study, I put something like that on and I just zone right in


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## Chad Firepaws (Oct 15, 2020)

Sir Thaikard said:


> Taking frequent breaks helps, or at least, changing gears.
> 
> I'll write for 100 words/half an hour/significant checkpoint for one of my clients, then switch to editing a 1000 words for my book, then wash the dishes for the length of a TedTalk, then back to the story.
> 
> It does have the potential to be end up being muddled but I find that overall I end up being much more productive with all tasks involved.


Interesting. It could be useful to bundle things up rather than try to do things all at once


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## Chad Firepaws (Oct 15, 2020)

Toby_Morpheus said:


> Some good droning, high bpm music does it for me
> If I wanna study, I put something like that on and I just zone right in



For me it's NFL stat videos


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## Toby_Morpheus (Oct 15, 2020)

SinglePringle said:


> For me it's NFL stat videos


Oh
That'd be snoozeville for me.
That and anything with words is too distracting for me.
I like stuff like goa or other dance genres.


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## Chad Firepaws (Oct 15, 2020)

Cosmic-FS said:


> _First off let me preface by saying that the techniques I'm sharing are purely form personal experience. I know they work for me, but they may or may not work for you. I encourage you experiment._
> 
> When it comes to motivation for me, I find the best thing is to stick to a rigid schedule. I write at the same time for the same amount of time every day. I get home at about 6:20, decompress for a bit, and then I start writing at 6:30. Then I don't stop writing until 8:30. It gets to the point that it's a routine in my head and I can enter a kind of headspace. When the clock strikes 6:30 I'm like, "Okay, now I'm in WRITING MODE."
> 
> ...



Trying new places to right is an interesting idea! *smashes myself into corner*


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## Chad Firepaws (Oct 15, 2020)

Toby_Morpheus said:


> Oh
> That'd be snoozeville for me.
> That and anything with words is too distracting for me.
> I like stuff like goa or other dance genres.



Yeah it's mostly what I like to do but you be you. I enjoy the stat videos because the knowledge presented is educational, but they're too boring to watch alone. So I like to watch them while drawing/writing


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## Chad Firepaws (Oct 15, 2020)

Sir Thaikard said:


> Taking frequent breaks helps, or at least, changing gears.
> 
> I'll write for 100 words/half an hour/significant checkpoint for one of my clients, then switch to editing a 1000 words for my book, then wash the dishes for the length of a TedTalk, then back to the story.
> 
> It does have the potential to be end up being muddled but I find that overall I end up being much more productive with all tasks involved.




Hmm yeah I'd have to try this. It's good to chunk things out in small doses


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## Chad Firepaws (Oct 15, 2020)

Mambi said:


> Only this: when that happens to me, I stop writing but start daydreaming. Specifically I dream about the world I'm trying to create. No pressures, no plots, just let your dreams flow. Then after the fact I try to look back and see what elements were coherent and interesting to whatever world I'm trying to build up.
> 
> See once you're written something down, you feel a pressure to build on that...even if you erase it later on. But by free-dreaming and imagining things purposely chaotically first, you have the plot almost built before you start the nect section. Then just write what you saw in your head.



Hmmm this is worth a shot. I'm a bit worried I'll just end up thinking about other things but I like the idea


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## Vakash_Darkbane (Oct 26, 2020)

Strangely enough I usually get the best writing done while my Nephew is eating his lunch when I'm watching him, or if i have a moment to be left alone.. I think it's when i'm mostly left alone that's when I get things done.


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