Challenge #3, cont: Strategies to Stay Motivated

Here are some more of my strategies for staying motivated:

1. Writing Contests: A writing contest—and its deadline—is a great motivator, plus a contest win provides a nice pat on the back, an addition to your writing resume, and potential feedback from contest judges.
2. Blog: (I had to mention this one, right?) Keeping a blog encourages a regular writing practice, involves you in conversation with the online writing community, and helps develop your platform for future marketing efforts. For more thoughts on blogging, read this post.
3. Conferences: Where better to regain your fire for writing? Conferences bring together writers, both experienced and inexperienced, editors, agents, and other industry professionals. Attend a conference for a dose of inspiration mixed with craft and market info.
4. Smile File: Also known as a brag box, this is a collection of affirming feedback. I keep an email folder where I store glowing letters from freelance clients and the occasional message from a fan. (Okay, one letter from a librarian who read my short story in Cricket and wanted to know if I wrote a book based on it…and I treasure it!) I also keep a running list of things I proud of. I look at it when the going gets tough or I start to feel discouraged.
5. Ignore everybody (negative): See The Creative Penn for a review of Hugh MacLeod’s “Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity”—which, apparently, includes blogging as a creativity booster.

What about you—have any tricks to staying motivated through the ups and downs of the writing life?

:) Cheryl