Writing Motivation

Ryan Justin
Sep 4, 2018 · 5 min read

Adding fuel to your writing flame.

by Darius Soodmand on Unsplash

Much like many of the writers that frequent the Medium platform, I work a full-time job. Working a 9–5 job is essential for me to support my young family, put food on the table, pay the bills and give each of them the best life possible.

The downside of working a 9–5 job, Monday through Friday with the weekends free to enjoy quality family time, is unfortunately not being able to write and ‘publish’ as much as I would like to here on this platform.

Making Plans

From the moment I wake each morning my brain is ticking over, thinking of possible ideas and topics to write about that evening — that is my writing time, when everyone is tucked up in bed, (girlfriend included), and the house is quiet.

Whilst on my daily commute to and from work I am constantly on the lookout, knowing that anything I see or hear could spark an idea in which to write about, the biggest challenge is remembering those ideas long enough that I have a chance to write them down at the end of my journey.

Working in an office environment allows me to always have a note pad and pen handy for jotting down ideas that come to mind as I complete my daily tasks. I also use a Google docs file on my phone when I do not have writing materials at hand.

As the day progresses, I find myself making plans for the evening ahead.

“Pick up the kids from school, stop by the supermarket to grab some groceries for this evenings meal, spend some quality time with my girlfriend relaxing and finding out how her day has been, then, when everyone has entered the land of Nod, it’s writing time!”

But, as many of you will know, things do not always go as planned.

Perhaps getting the children to bed doesn’t go as smoothly as usual, and it takes a little longer to get them settled, or maybe you get too involved in your favourite Netflix series with your partner suggesting ‘just one more episode’ before bed, then there are the times when you’ve just have had a long hard day and when writing time finally comes around, your motivation and drive has been diminished, leaving you feeling like a deflated party balloon.

Whatever the reason, sometimes we are all victims of circumstance.

And, with a hop, skip and a jump you too are cosy in bed. As eyelids grow heavy you make a promise to yourself, “I will get back on track tomorrow,” enter the sandman.

Making Today Count

‘Beep, Beep, Beep’ everyone’s favourite sound, (number two being nails on a chalk board), the morning alarm. You wake up feeling well rested and refreshed, ready to take on the day.

So, how are you going to make today count? Mainly, what will be done differently to ensure when it comes time to write this evening you are ready to optimise the few hours of quiet time that are available each night?

For me, the motivation I require to act when it comes time to write begins long before I sit down and type that first word of the day.

Not wanting to have a repeat of the night before, when tiredness overcame the motivation to write, I use a variety of techniques that encourage a positive mindset and help prepare me to write later in the day.

A few of my favourite methods are as follows:

1. Taking notes throughout the day — I got the idea of carrying a small notebook around with me from a response I received from @Caroline de Braganza regarding an article I wrote — Finding Creative Ideas. Caroline had mentioned that she uses a small note book to jot down ideas for writing that come to her throughout her day, just as mentioned above. I have taken Caroline’s notebook idea and as well as writing down ideas that spark my imagination, I write down a brief description of the piece I wish to create in the evening. Noted in bullet point format, I write the points that are to be included in the article, giving myself direction so when it comes time to sit down to write, the blueprint is there and all that is needed is to elaborate further on each point then piece them together much like a jigsaw puzzle. This technique saves quite a bit of time.

2. Reading other members articles on Medium — I am an avid reader of articles on Medium. I find taking the time to read other people’s articles is a fantastic way to motivate myself to write my own. Everyone has their own style, voice and preferred formatting when it comes to creating an article. Recognizing and examining other writing styles is a great way to improve on your own writing skills. The excitement of reading an article that sparks my imagination and gets that creative wheel turning is perhaps my favourite form of motivation. Sitting in front of the screen, ready to try out a new idea that could possibly improve your writing technique is intriguing to me, especially when your new idea evolves in front of your eyes into something even better than expected.

3. Listening to podcasts / interviews — A great form of motivation is listening to the people who are at the top of their chosen field. As with almost every top performer, the road to success never came easy. I listen to interviews and podcasts with people who are in a position that I would love to be at in life. Hearing how they overcame adversity to achieve their hopes and dreams is such an inspiration to push through the tough times when perhaps it is easier to give up.

These are just a few of the techniques I have been experimenting with in my very short time on this platform. I have taken these ideas from other aspects of my life, adjusting them to suit and hopefully improve on my writing skills.

Which methods have you been experimenting with or implementing when you require a little boost of motivation?


I hope you enjoyed this article, thanks for taking the time to read it, much appreciated. I aim to improve my writing with each article so I welcome any tips or advice.

Thank you.

Ryan Justin

Written by

Writing with the aim to inspire | Top writer | “No one sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories you have to tell” — Charles de Lint

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