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If you’re still having a hard time getting started, or if
you are doing so much writing you’re experiencing burn-out, consider one of
these motivational tools. Several of these are from Silvia’s book How to
Write a Lot, and I’ve borrowed the title of his third chapter to title this
posting.*
Set,
and write on a visible list (white board, paper taped to the wall), very
concrete goals. “Write at least 200 words.” “Outline a new manuscript.”
“Write the first three paragraphs of the discussion section.” (Silvia,
2007, p. 32). Facing reasonable, visible, and concrete goals makes it
easier to start to write…much more so than having a list that reads
“Complete dissertation.” Write a book.” “Develop and submit a successful
$1 million grant proposal.” (Remember, you can’t do any of those things
today. But you can write three paragraphs of that dissertation or book or
proposal today.)
Reward
your progress. Some of us are adequately rewarded by the satisfaction of
completing good writing. (We have an internal locus of control) Some of us
need more – tangible, tasty, real rewards. So reward yourself at
points through your writing but only after you have completed something
substantial. (No candy bar per sentence.) And Silvia reminds us to “never
reward writing with not writing. Rewarding writing by abandoning your
schedule is like rewarding yourself for quitting smoking by having a
cigarette….Don’t lose your good writing habits” (p. 45)
To
reward your progress you have to monitor it. You might laugh to hear that
Silvia can tell you that he writes 97% of weekdays and generates 789 words
per writing day. People “give me an odd look, as if I had said that I make
quilts out of Bernese mountain dog hair” (p. 40). He prepares a histogram
of his writing showing the output in words by month for the year. This is
one way to both monitor and reward yourself. If charts and graphs showing
your output help you compete with yourself to be more productive (as
measured by word count) from day to day and month to month, then try it.
Post your bar graph. Share it with your partner or roommates or
colleagues. See that “Bernese-mountain-dog-quilt look” yourself!
Motivate
yourself with stories of how good writers suffer. Ralph Keyes in The
Writer’s Book of Hope explains that he keeps a file with such
stories: ‘A San Francisco Examiner editor returned an article to
Rudyard Kipling with a note saying, “This isn’t a kindergarten for amateur
writers. I’m sorry, Mr. Kipling, but you just don’t know how to use the
English language” (p. 142).
And
here’s one more motivational tip from Keyes: Study the
acknowledgments section of books. They “can be a treasure chest of useful
and reassuring information” (p. 143). Writers demonstrate in their long
list of acknowledgements that, through times of AFD (anxiety, frustration,
and despair), there were those “who encouraged them, who supported them,
and who kept their spirits up” (p. 143). I encouraged my graduate students
who were having a hard time starting to write to begin with the
acknowledgements. It’s fun and easy to write, it makes the dissertation
begin to look like a dissertation or book, and no reader or committee
member will ever suggest edits to your acknowledgements! So if you’re
working on your thesis or dissertation and haven’t drafted the
acknowledgements, do so. It provides encouragement and inspiration, if
that will help. (I’ll admit why acknowledgements motivate me: I remember
reading James C. Cobb’s The Most Southern Place on Earth: The Mississippi Delta
and the Roots of Regional Identity. When I read Professor Cobb’s
dedication and acknowledgement of his wife, neither of whom I’ve met, I
was moved to tears. Since that day the acknowledgements are the first
thing I read when I pick up a book. Like Keyes, I’m always amazed at how
many people have helped, encouraged, and sustained the authors through the
writing of their books. But for me, writing a book’s acknowledgement page
means that I get to thank the people who have mentored, inspired, and guided
me. And for me, that’s a real motivation to finish the manuscript.)
And
here’s a good one: Donate $5 to your favorite U.S. presidential candidate’s opponent
for each day you do not write (Boice, 1990).
Boice, R.
(1990). Professors as writers: A self-help guide to productive writing. Stillwater, OK:
New Forums Press.
Keyes, R.
(2003). The writer’s book of hope: Getting from frustration to publication.
New York: Owl
Books.
Silvia, P.
(2007). How to write a lot. Washington,
DC: American Psychological Association
*We have extra copies of Silvia’s book and today randomly
selected these BreakWriting subscribers to receive a copy (or one of the other
books on our resource list, your choice). Stop by 109 Low or e-mail me to get
your book. First four letters/numbers of the uni are:
Jrs2
Abk2
Eas9
Some of the information in the Break Writing postings is
drawn from previously published work, and I have tried to properly attribute
the ideas and work of others. If I have failed to do so, please let me know so
I can clarify and correct (ja2310@columbia.edu).
Continue to Break Writing #13 - Writing Practice
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