WriteCast Episode 77: Keeping Up Your Motivation

© Walden University Writing Center 2021

Transcript

© Walden University Writing Center 2021

[Introduction music]

CLAIRE: Welcome to Write Cast: A Casual Conversation for Serious Writers, a monthly podcast by the Walden University Writing Center. I’m Claire Helakoski,

KACY: and I’m Kacy Walz.

CLAIRE: Keeping your motivation up can be tough these days, we’ll discuss some strategies and recommendations to help you stay motivated this month!

KACY: Claire and I will discuss some struggles with motivation and writing, especially in our current global climate, and ways to keep your motivation up, and also be kind to yourself.

CLAIRE: First, I want to start out by saying that this is not an episode about how much great additional work you should be doing. I know I have felt extremely challenged during this time period. And personally, people’s posts about how they’ve finally managed to write their novel or learn a new language, have really bummed me out.

KACY: Yes, we are not saying that you should be more productive during this time or that you should be setting unreasonable expectations for yourself.

CLAIRE: However, that doesn’t mean we don’t all still have things we need to do. Kacy is working on her dissertation, for example!

KACY: Or at least trying to! Part of the inspiration for this podcast episode actually comes from my constant feeling that I should be taking advantage of all this at-home time. On the one hand, it’s nice to not have to turn down social invitations in order to get my writing time in, but on the other, not having any social outlet…has been really emotionally and mentally draining for me. But I know that I have to get the work done.

CLAIRE: And, because Kacy is working on this writing project, she’s really tapped in to some resources and ideas to help stay motivated, especially when going out to a coffee shop or meeting up in person for some writing time isn’t possible.

KACY: I have been trying so many different techniques. One that has been fairly helpful is an online writing group that I joined. It connects writers from all around the world for set, one-hour Zoom meetings. We turn on our webcams (I always turn mine on, but it’s optional) and then get to work. I find having the camera on and knowing that people can see me if I start zoning out is pretty motivating for me. But I really like this because it forces me to stick to a schedule in terms of writing. I know the three specific hours a day that other people will be in the Zoom room, so I can put that on my calendar and it holds me accountable. Otherwise I feel like it’s way too easy to think, “Oh I’ll get to it later.”

We also have a shared progress chart we can fill in to keep track of our progress, so that we can see that we’re making some! And also, to practice setting intentional goals and following through. At the start of each session, each writer can fill in an Excel cell regarding what they hope to achieve over the course of the hour. And then at the end we can go back and mark it either “complete” or “in progress” and write in any notes regarding the session. It’s really an accountability tool for those who find that kind of thing helpful. I know you can find similar writing groups online through websites like MeetUp.com.

CLAIRE: That sounds so supportive but also low-effort as far as interaction et cetera. Sometimes just knowing other people are also working can really boost your motivation. You and I talked a little bit about a blog you read where the woman created her own writing retreat, can you elaborate on that?

KACY: Yeah, actually I am planning to try and do this myself this month. The idea behind a writing retreat is that you set everything aside, aside from your writing project. Creative writers, Claire you might have experience or knowledge of this, in the past have had a lot of these kinds of specifically-organized, in-person retreats where writers will actually travel away from home and work with professional writing coaches. Have you ever done anything like that, Claire? Or heard of something like that?

CLAIRE: I haven’t personally done one, but they are a kind of thing in the creative writing community and will get different writers together in different areas for a few days, or maybe a week. They usually have a couple all-star writers come and help do some motivational exercises, or give feedback as you writing.

KACY: Yeah! And that’s kind of what I’m talking about with this experience. But they do tend to be expensive. The woman, Dr. Kathy Mazak, she rented an AirBnb for her own retreat. Personally I’m just planning to stay at home and save that money, but I’m very fortunate to have an office with a door that closes, and a partner who is very respectful of my time and supportive of my goals. I have a white board on my door so I can leave a message, dorm-room-style, to let him know I’m trying to focus.

CLAIRE: Nice!

KACY: I attempted a writing retreat where I left home for a week, but I actually found isolation to be hindering my ability to focus. So, this time I’m just going to focus on my writing during the day, and then spend time with my husband and dog in the evening. You’ve got to figure out what works for you.

Dr. Mazak also explained that she’s realistic and knows that she won’t be able to write 24/7 during her retreat. I think that’s a mistake I made in my own initial retreat. She brings books that she feels will stimulate her writing muscles, while still being a kind of respite from the mentally taxing act of writing. Personally, I like to break up my time in 25 minute pomodoros. Knowing exactly when I’ll get a break, helps me focus during the time I want to work.

CLAIRE: For our listeners, can you let us know what a pomodoro is?

KACY: Absolutely. It’s a technique based on setting specific time limits for focused work and for taking breaks. The traditional style, and the style I follow, is 25 minutes of focused work and then a 5 minute break. And I think it’s based on tomoato-shaped timers? I’m not really sure. But if you look up “pomodoro” you can find more information about it.

CLAIRE: There are a lot of little motivational tools like that. I remember some friends who were doing National Novel Writing Month until they found this website where, after you’ve written a certain amount of words or for a certain amount of time, you are rewarded with a picture of a kitten. So, whatever helps you really focus during that time, and break it up.  

Never underestimate the power of changing up your space or routine to help keep you motivated! Personally, since I work from home, I move around my house when I feel unmotivated, rather than just work in one space at my desk all day. I’ll stand up and work at my kitchen table, work in my bedroom, on my porch, or sometimes on the couch. It also helps me reset. I’ll also maybe change the music, put on background music, or grab a cup of tea and anything to help me refocus.

KACY: I love that. It shows that you don’t have to make a huge journey to change something up.

CLAIRE: Right.

KACY: And I like to set myself little rewards. I have a calendar with a sticker code, and I try to add to that calendar each day. One sticker color shows that I did some writing that day. Another shows that I did some research. I know it sounds silly, but those little stickers are really motivating for me! I like to see them add up. I also try to be kind to myself by not requiring that I meet any specific goal to earn a sticker. If I write even one sentence, or read one paragraph, I get a sticker. That low-stakes level helps me get started and ensures I’ll do some work almost every day.

CLAIRE: That reminds me of a phrase that I’ve heard in workout motivation: the best workout is the one that you’ll actually do. Right? Even if it’s not as challenging or long as you maybe had mentally set for yourself, having something that you actually do every day is really powerful.

KACY: Absolutely. There are so many ways that we can sabotage ourselves by creating unrealistic goals, or comparing our own work styles and processes to those of others. Basically just beating ourselves up for things that are way out of control. So, we also wanted to touch base about some writing that might not add pages to your writing project, but could help free up your mind and help you sort through your emotions so that you can make progress.

CLAIRE: Right. And like we said, this is a challenging time in a lot of ways. Writing can be a useful tool, not just something we have to do. Writing out your feelings and reflections can help clear out that mental space so you feel more motivated.

KACY: Some previous WriteCast cohosts talked about Mindful Writing and taking care of yourself in Episode 34, which might be worth a re-listen to help center yourself and practice making mental space. Episodes 39 and 40 explain how to use positive affirmations to promote healthy and productive writing.

CLAIRE: We also covered writing through difficult circumstances and emotions in our Restorative Writing episode, with follow-along activity, in Episode 61 and the bonus episode. Remember to take it easy on yourselves, listeners! Take things a day at a time. Take breaks. Breathe. Do what you need to do in order to feel sane and healthy.

KACY: Scholarly writing can feel isolating even outside of a pandemic, but you’re definitely not alone in this process. We hope you’ll try out some of the strategies we discussed today, check out the previous WriteCast episodes, and utilize some of our resources in the Writing Center. All of our synchronous webinars include interactive portions, our paper reviews are completed by a real-life writing instructor, and you can always reach out to us at [email protected] for some recommendations on other resources, and a nice note from one of our awesome colleagues!

CLAIRE: We have another mini announcement today—I’ll be going out on maternity leave this month, and due to that as well as the holidays, we won’t be posting a new podcast episode in December or January. Likely, you won’t hear me on the February episode either as I may still be out depending on my leave dates—but I’ll be back!

KACY: And if you have any writing-related topics you’d like us to discuss on WriteCast in 2021, please email them to us. You can use that same [email protected] address, and just put something about WriteCast in the subject line. That way we’ll make sure it gets to us. Until then, keep up the good work, keep being kind to yourself, keep writing.

CLAIRE: Keep inspiring.

[Music]

KACY: WriteCast is a monthly podcast produced by the Walden University Writing Center. Visit our online Writing Center at academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter. Find more WriteCast episodes on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast app. We would love to hear from you! Connect with us on our blog, Facebook, and Twitter, and at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

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