Do you reward yourself when you complete a writing task? Do you make your writing life interesting so that you will be motivated to complete your manuscripts?

Setting up small rewards every time you finish a task is one way to motivate yourself to get some writing done, especially if it’s hard or you don’t feel like pushing past a character plotting issue.

Writing isn’t easy. It takes time and energy. Success doesn’t arise in a linear fashion. Writing and inspiration for writing usually come in fits and starts. Some of these starts may be fictitous. Therefore, we must put the right mechanisms in place to ensure that we keep our nose to the grindstone when things get tough.

Few writers sit down and are just able to write for hours. There are distractions, both internal and external. Or you may have not had a good night’s sleep or had a fight with your spouse. You may have received a rejection a few days ago. Or you may have doubts that your writing is up to the standards of a magazine or publisher you would like to break in with.

Whatever you are going through, you must try to enjoy the writing process. It’s a journey which can be fraught with complexity and lack of motivation. Its hard to see a project to the end.

This is where rewards come in and why they’re so important. You can also set up a small reward when you write or revise a chapter of your WIP. Or you may give yourself a reward when you submit your article or story to a publisher/magazine. When you finish a big chunk of your manuscript or goal, have bigger rewards, ones that will really put a smile on your face, such as going for a massage or buying yourself a new outfit.

So today, take out your writer’s journal and write out a list of rewards you can give yourself when you complete a project. Then the next time you complete a goal, reward yourself.

This could be your ticket to success and self-confidence as a writer.

Try it!

Irene Roth