How To Keep Writing Your Novel - Even When You've Grown Bored Of It

That first day you show up to write your story it's like a shot of adrenaline. 

On the 100th you show up dragging your feet like someone put rocks in your shoes. 

Burnout and boredom are the top two things that will kill your story and your chance of ever finishing your novel.  

However, finding ways to push through or find a workaround to these problems is an essential skill all writers should possess. 

Remember Your Why

This first one is a little preachy, but why did this story excite you in the first place? Where did that first glimmer of idea come from that filled you with characters and plots and all sorts of things that had you excited to sit down and tell their story?

Try to reclaim that excitement by remembering what it was that made this story matter to you in the first place. 

Shake Things Up 

Maybe you just are really bored with your story. I'm sorry to tell you this but if you're bored writing your story - your readers are definitely going to be bored reading it. 

Try shaking things up in your story. Open a new document or turn to a black page, back up the story a little bit, and have your characters do something different than what you originally wanted them to do. Throw a twist in their day and have them do something silly and entertaining for them or just entertaining for you. (Especially if you write horror or thriller.)

No matter what genre you write you can throw anything you want at your characters. You may like this new journey better and swap it in for whatever it was you had before. 

Set Small, Achievable Goals

Your problem might not be boredom, but a feeling of stagnation that your novel isn't progressing in the way that you would like or as fast as you would like. 

Stop worrying about the bigger picture and instead focus on the smaller goals that will give you a better sense of progress. 

Each chapter or scene can be a milestone instead of thinking of just reaching the finish line. 

This also opens up the opportunity to reward yourself for writing and find your motivation that way. 

Fill a small jar with your favorite candy and have a piece whenever you reach the end of a chapter. 

Sometimes we need just a little something to push us through those hard scenes so we can get back into a flow state and have the words flying back onto the page. 

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Writing a novel is a journey that has its peaks and valleys like any good road trip. 

If you've lost your momentum for writing your story find a way to reconnect with your novel, shake things up, or set the goal a little closer so that it feels less daunting of a drive with checkpoints and stops along the way. 

Don't give up on your story. 

Best of luck! 

With love, 

B. xo xo

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This story was originally posted on Medium.

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