No one wakes up every day with the motivation to write — even the most seasoned writers struggle with writing block or lack of inspiration. It could be that you’re exhausted, stuck in a boring writing routine, burned out, or scared of failing. So, how do you push through and do it anyway? If you’re looking for tips on how to write an essay when you have no motivation, you have come to the right place. Read on to discover creative strategies that writers can apply to add inspiration and enthusiasm to the essay writing process.
10 ways to motivate yourself to write an essay when you have writer’s block
1. Set writing goals
Whether it’s finishing an essay within a specific time or aiming for a grade you want, writing down goals ignites your passion to accomplish them. Ensure you set small and attainable goals that are easier to tackle. For example, the thought of writing a 3000-word college essay at once can be intimidating, but setting a target of 800 words per day is easier. Revisit your goals regularly to stay on your feet.
2. Acknowledge difficult feelings and get writing support if necessary
It helps to acknowledge your resistance to writing and other difficult feelings before you can start writing again. Still, it’s common to feel deeply demotivated and unenthusiastic when you have no interest in the essay topic, feel overwhelmed, or lack confidence in your writing. Instead of procrastinating or compromising the quality of your paper, ask an expert to write quickly with FastEssay. Enlisting a professional essay writing service guarantees that you get a high-quality custom paper written by a real expert in your field.
3. Set deadlines
Deadlines are the best motivators for writers. Thus, staying motivated while writing essays requires setting due dates for each part of the paper. A deadline will light a fire in you and force you to put in the work needed to complete each part on time. A good way to ensure you meet deadlines is to schedule writing time and honor it no matter what.
4. Break down the writing process
When writing assignments gets overwhelming, breaking down the process helps a lot. Trying to deal with an entire essay in one go will scare you and take you further from completing it. However, creating an outline and breaking the writing process into smaller steps will keep you sane and motivated.
5. Find a good writing space
When you find yourself stuck and staring at a blank page, it’s probably because you’ve mentally checked out. To change the situation, you must free yourself from distractions that affect your focus. Put away your phone, turn off the TV, close social media pages, mute email notifications, and turn off distracting music. Removing distractions is crucial if you want to motivate yourself to write an essay.
6. Free-write and edit later
Sometimes, what you need to get started is to free-write whatever comes to you. Stopping to edit or perfect your writing will make you forget ideas and lose momentum. Freewriting helps to overcome mental blocks and get the ball rolling. However, free writing requires you to turn off the inner critic and allow yourself to make mistakes. You will polish it later to make it worthy of submission.
7. Reward yourself
If you want to boost your writing motivation, one of the most effective ways is to set a reward system for when you finally reach your goal. Celebrate accomplishments, no matter how small. It can be as simple as eating at your favorite restaurant, a cup of coffee, or watching a movie you like. You could also take short breaks as a reward for completing a part of your goal.
8. Create visual aids
At times, a motivational poster with visual aids can keep you accountable. For example, you can create a vision board of what to do after completing your essay. Other useful visual tips include keeping a picture of places you want to visit or displaying inspirational words that remind you to stay focused. You’ll be surprised how much a motivational poster can keep you inspired.
9. Join a writing group
You can get motivated by talking with other writers who share similar struggles as you. You also get free writing advice. Joining a writing group that meets regularly means you are accountable to other people to turn in what you have done. That way, you’re challenged to write a specified number of words before the next meeting.
10. Practice self-care
If you’re exhausted or super stressed, it’s very difficult to motivate yourself to write a paper. Writing essays is no easy feat, so if you don’t take care of yourself, it’s easy to be demotivated and lose focus. Self-care can be in the form of eating well, getting plenty of sleep, exercising, visiting a masseuse, or talking to a therapist.
Bonus tips to make your essay writing process more pleasant
- Choose interesting topics — Writing about something you don’t care about will likely not get your creative juices flowing. However, writing academic papers about something you’re passionate about can make the process feel less like work and more like fun. Even when the topic is provided, you can choose a subject in your interest area, giving you a little spark of creativity to keep you motivated.
- Turn writing into a game — Challenge a friend to a writing contest to see who gets a higher grade or set daily targets to beat your earlier benchmarks. Most college students enjoy games, so making writing competitive keeps the process fun. There are many fun ways to turn writing into a contest and make it more fun.
- Make the first step — Writing a paper from scratch can be intimidating, especially when you have little experience. The uneasiness causes many students to fear making the first step. Don’t be afraid of messing up. In fact, writing without thinking too hard about right or wrong may be what you need to overcome writer’s block.
- Keep a positive attitude — The writing process is more enjoyable when you keep a positive attitude than when you’re negative. Celebrating small wins is an effective way of improving your attitude towards writing.
- Don’t wait until the last minute to start — Trying to motivate yourself to write an essay in a few hours can be difficult. To make essay writing more fun, start your assignment early enough to have enough time to write on a comfortable schedule. Dedicating enough time for writing can also improve the quality of your paper.
Develop habits that help you find motivation to write essays
It’s normal for students and even kids to face periods of resistance and difficult feelings towards essay writing. The key is to find ways to push through the challenging moments and keep the writing momentum going. Instead of throwing in the towel, apply at least one of the methods discussed in this article to stay on track.
