Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Flipboard 0 The majority of people who have been self-employed in any industry will tell you that they have suffered with a lack of motivation at some point in their careers. Being a self-starter is one of the essential traits that you must possess as a self-employed person, and freelance writing is high on that list. The ability to make money as a writer is one that has grown significantly since the internet has made blogging an industry as much as a vocation, and the likes of social media and email has allowed for networking amongst writers and other creatives to be easier than ever. It has also allowed for research to be readily accessible, with books, essays, audio and video, journalism and other archived materials to be found as simply as with a Google search. If it exists, there’s a good chance you’ll find it. The clichéd view of the writer as the shut-in who lives on coffee and cigarettes and spends the majority of the working day agonising over a typewriter with the curtains closed is one that is a little dated, but can quite easily come true if you don’t stay motivated and on track. There are multiple distractions that can destroy a working day, including day-time TV, YouTube (a personal favourite), social media and online games. It’s incredibly easy to pick up an X-Box controller instead of a pen, but it doesn’t pay the bills (unless you are very good at X-Box). Here are a few motivational tools that I use as a freelance writer. I’m six months in, so a few of these might sound crazy to some people. But hey, if you feel that way, let me know in the comments, and feel free to share some of your own motivational tools… Reading There is nothing more motivating than reading something in your niche that is absolutely fantastic, beautifully written and gets you pumped just reading it. You could read a quote from the piece that sends you off on a Google journey to find the source of the quote, and then find yourself reading the interview from which it came and becoming energised as a result. Just be careful that it doesn’t become procrastination, because it can cross that line fairly quickly. If you use Google Chrome, a great way to create a reading list for your interests is to use Bookmarks so that you have all the sites that motivate and inspire you right in front of you. It’s perfect for when you’re having a wobble and are staring at the blinking cursor instead of writing. You’re more likely to head to Facebook and waste an hour or two unless you have something on screen to distract you in a positive way. My Bookmark consists of these great writing sites. Without them, my weekly procrastinating time would probably be higher than my writing time: Make a Living Writing Creative Bloc Freelance Switch Copyblogger Writers in Charge Blogging Pro Exercise There is nothing that clears my head of all the rubbish that I collect from my day-to-day life than a good long walk, a swim or a thrash on the cross trainer I have in the spare bedroom. I don’t have a degree in sports science, but when I’m sitting around trying to find motivation to write, my habit of heading out for an hours walk always gets me back on track. Ideas and thoughts percolate while I’m walking. They never come to me when I’m bent over my laptop with a dumbstruck expression on my face or walking around the living room in circles trying to THINK OF AN IDEA. I don’t know if this works for everyone, but it certainly works for me. I thought that I might be a little strange with my walking ways until I found out that Shane Black does exactly the same thing, and he learned it from Stephen King. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to associate myself with those two writers again, so I feel nice and smug knowing that I use a similar motivational technique without realising it right away. When you’re a writer, moments like that need to be savoured. Go to 8:40 of the video below to hear Shane Black talking about walking to help open his head and allow for an idea to emerge: Watch Raising Stakes, Reversals, and Payoffs on PBS. See more from On Story. Have a Plan and Start Building Sometimes setting out a plan of action can be as much fun as the writing itself. Whether you’re a blogger, journalist, screenwriter or a playwright, you will plan what you’re writing in the majority of cases. This can be a detailed plot-line with a beginning, middle and end or simply some bullet points of story beats that you want to hit. However you decide to write your story, a plan will help keep you stay motivated and inspired. The writer Graham Linehan (Father Ted, The IT Crowd) has said that you should never start writing until you have so many ideas and research at your disposal that there is nothing else to do BUT write it. He passed this piece of advice to Joe Cornish, who wrote and directed the film Attack the Block. With this is mind, a great way to motivate yourself is to find as much information and ideas as you can before you head to the blank page. It will prevent you from procrastinating and almost eradicates the issue of writer’s block, something that I personally don’t believe in but what is known to cripple writers. You can’t get writers block if you have a plan and you are literally surrounded by ideas. Photo credit: shawnzrossi via photopin cc Twitter Tweet Facebook Share Email This article was written for Business 2 Community by Connor Brooke.Learn how to publish your content on B2C Author: Connor Brooke Connor is a Scottish financial expert, specialising in wealth management and equity investing. Based in Glasgow, Connor writes full-time for a wide selection of financial websites, whilst also providing startup consulting to small businesses. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, and a Master’s degree in Investment Fund Management, Connor has … View full profile ›More by this author:ACH Crypto Price Prediction 2022 – Is it a Buy?Lucky Block Partners with Dillian Whyte ahead of Heavyweight Showdown with Tyson FuryNFT Pixel Art – The Best NFT Collections for 2022