It's easy to Google "confidence building ideas" and get a nice list of ways to build one's confidence. I'm sure motivation is similarly easy to find. Regardless, I'd like to know what, specifically, writers do to help stay confident and help stay motivated. For me, long-term confidence building is non-existent (whereby I rely on motivation to get me through the long-term issues). If you have any strategies you care to share, please do so.
My strategies for staying:
Confident: Meeting/surpassing my expectations (short-term only). Celebrate completed work; e.g. self-congratulatory comments (short-term only). These are forgotten long term.
Motivated: Completing challenges I set for myself. Alternating tasks of the project (keep it fresh) between days, so I do not burn out.
I'm a Type-A workaholic. I create my own carrot (motivation) and go. I challenge myself, and that is usually enough to get me started (wanting to complete the challenge). Writing a novel is no different, but the longer-than-expected duration is forcing me to question my confidence. I finish what I start (strong commitment), and I am in it for the long haul. Regardless -- in the last two paragraphs of this post, I explain a confidence issue I had the other day -- it's rough when one questions himself. I know all writers get this, but it's ridiculous at times.
For now, I have expectations and goals. My expectations are very realistic (learn how to write a book, write my first book, and so forth). My goals are doable, but are nothing I expect (e.g. finding and agent and getting published).
The following got me thinking about my motivations, and a big reason why I started this thread. Only read if interested; nothing germane to the thread otherwise. For me, I will complete an exact calendar year since I started learning how to write novels and did a lot of research. When I started, I thought it would take me 6 months, 8 max, to start writing. I have 13 days left till I finish my first year of my project. I believe I am WAY better off than where I wanted to start writing, and that will help me write (e.g. more confidence and less anxiety). Yesterday, I ended my 50th week since starting, and I got a 30 minute stint of: "Wow, WTF am I doing! I haven't even started writing in 50 weeks."
Because I am learning, I opted to go all out. I'm attempting something quite lofty. I know it is recommended not to start so big, but this is how I like learning new things (i.e. throw 5 or 6, 1000-piece puzzles out into a big pile and form the puzzles). Jumping between tasks (e.g. sorting puzzle pieces into new piles, piecing some of them together, and so forth) is one thing that keeps the work fresh.
My strategies for staying:
Confident: Meeting/surpassing my expectations (short-term only). Celebrate completed work; e.g. self-congratulatory comments (short-term only). These are forgotten long term.
Motivated: Completing challenges I set for myself. Alternating tasks of the project (keep it fresh) between days, so I do not burn out.
I'm a Type-A workaholic. I create my own carrot (motivation) and go. I challenge myself, and that is usually enough to get me started (wanting to complete the challenge). Writing a novel is no different, but the longer-than-expected duration is forcing me to question my confidence. I finish what I start (strong commitment), and I am in it for the long haul. Regardless -- in the last two paragraphs of this post, I explain a confidence issue I had the other day -- it's rough when one questions himself. I know all writers get this, but it's ridiculous at times.
For now, I have expectations and goals. My expectations are very realistic (learn how to write a book, write my first book, and so forth). My goals are doable, but are nothing I expect (e.g. finding and agent and getting published).
The following got me thinking about my motivations, and a big reason why I started this thread. Only read if interested; nothing germane to the thread otherwise. For me, I will complete an exact calendar year since I started learning how to write novels and did a lot of research. When I started, I thought it would take me 6 months, 8 max, to start writing. I have 13 days left till I finish my first year of my project. I believe I am WAY better off than where I wanted to start writing, and that will help me write (e.g. more confidence and less anxiety). Yesterday, I ended my 50th week since starting, and I got a 30 minute stint of: "Wow, WTF am I doing! I haven't even started writing in 50 weeks."
Because I am learning, I opted to go all out. I'm attempting something quite lofty. I know it is recommended not to start so big, but this is how I like learning new things (i.e. throw 5 or 6, 1000-piece puzzles out into a big pile and form the puzzles). Jumping between tasks (e.g. sorting puzzle pieces into new piles, piecing some of them together, and so forth) is one thing that keeps the work fresh.
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