Guest Post: Motivate Yourself to Write

How to motivate yourself for an academic piece of writing

a guest post by Eileen Archer

Most of us do it wrong: we sit down at our desks about a day or two beforehand thinking that we’re going to be able to write a first-class essay without having done any preparation. Especially if it’s the first time writing an important academic piece, this is a disastrous strategy. Here is a quick guide to show you the most important skills for essay writing, how to perfect them and how to get motivated.

Practice makes perfect

Keep a journal to document your life! Do it with music! Find some joy in writing! Then, when it comes to writing academically and trying to express complicated theories or discussing your opinion, it should be a lot easier for you. If you do find it difficult to write then maybe joining a writing group will help. Try also reading related papers to help you analyze the ideas and writing of others.

Organization is key

Make timetables for every complicated aspect of your life, for example: household chores, studying, writing, being productive, and hanging with friends. Attach themes or pictures to each hence turning it into something proactive, fun and interesting, not a chore! Stick them up on your walls, or give them to your parents in case you get lazy with it. Organizing your life to this extent will serve you well for any future work you have to do, both inside and outside of academia.

Reading from the same page

Surround yourself with books -- read, read and read more. There’s nothing like curling up with a good book. But, be wise about it. Reading chick lit or trashy magazines is all well and good, but if you don’t have several books on the go at once you’ll lose that writing knowledge. The ideal book selection is obviously something light-hearted that you enjoy and don’t have to think too much about, but more importantly you should be reading something that is well-written and certainly something attached to your work. So, on your night stand and desk, even before you do some academic writing, make sure there lays an academic journal or a classroom book too. And make sure you spread the time between the books evenly, rather than just staring at it dumbly from behind your top ten apps article.

Research – no pain no gain

You’re not alone, most everyone detests research. This is why you have to do it early. If you’re going to procrastinate in any part of your life or writing work, don’t do it here. Imagine a big pile of books and papers and links to references you’ve used. That’s what you’ll end up with; a big unorganized mess in front of you that will take forever to deal with. So, the key here is once you’ve used a reference, type it in a document, fully. Use the correct referencing style and make sure it’s 100% correct and all you’ll have to do at the end is click one button to arrange them alphabetically.

Bio: Eileen Archer is currently a resident blogger and a chief writer at EssayPlanet.org. After obtaining a Masters in English language she decided to dedicate her time to creative writing as well as providing assistance to students. She spends her free time reading, writing poetry and studying for a PhD in an art-related field.

Guest Post by Alvina Lopez

Tips on Becoming a Successful Writer

by Alvina Lopez

At an early age, I knew I wanted to be a writer. While other kids in school spoke of studying to become doctors, teachers, and policemen, I somehow knew my life would be enveloped in writing. For years, I had watched my mother dream up the plots behind her romance novels from the comfort of our home, and even when she struggled to finish the ending to one of her many novels, she always seemed blissfully content with her profession. I couldn't help but admire and want to replicate her many writing talents. Later on when I began my writing career, however, I grew envious of my mother's success. What came so easy to her was a struggle for me.

Unlike her, I had my difficulties breaking into the writing field. She had entered into it rather early in her life, but I struggled to get most anything published, even after five years in the field. I’ll admit, I was rather headstrong about my work, so I hardly ever took anyone else's advice; looking back, I realize I should have accepted help when it came my way. Nowadays, I've grown less intolerable and embrace sage wisdom when it is offered. Furthermore, I know that as the writing field continues to evolve and expand, it is becoming harder and harder to get work published. For those of you who are looking to become a successful writer, here are three useful tips in getting your work published and sold in today's world.

Find a Mentor

Early on in my career, I tracked down a mentor to help me in editing and revising my work. At first, I felt embarrassed to ask them to help me along, but in the end they turned out to be a wonderful mentor in my career. If you are looking for a mentor, sit down and think of authors that are close to where you live, and once you choose one, you'll open your career to a world of opportunity. Not only does your mentor come with years of experience and advice under his or her belt, they also have connections in the industry. I personally got to help my mentor edit three of her books and meet her publishers, who eventually took an interest in my work. Keep in mind, it never hurts to have someone read over your work and give you some professional advice, and published authors are the perfect mentors to dish out some useful advice!

Freelance

Many successful writers try to differentiate themselves from journalists, but I believe that is a little absurd. Journalists are actively writing all the time, and even though it may not be the type of work writers want to engage in all the time, there is no reason to pass up journalistic stories. Writing news or feature stories will keep your writing wheels in motion, which not only helps build up your creativity, it also looks great on your resume. Try and seek out media outlets in your area and see how you can be of service to them; not only will you make money at it, you'll also get published regularly. Sure, it isn't ideal for every writer, but it'll build up your portfolio and that helps in pitching to publishing companies.

Join a Writing Group

When I took my first real-world job, I had to move across the country. Not only was I terrified at the prospect of living in an unfamiliar city, I was also wondering how I would initiate myself into the writing community. It wasn't until I moved to the area that I learned about the blessings of local writing groups. Through a friend, I joined a community group that met once a week to go through writing exercises and editing sessions. Not only did I meet people who helped me improve my writing, I also met people who helped me get my work published. It may be intimidating to enter into a writing group at first, but doing so will aid you in ways you can't even imagine.

Though it can be frustrating at times, the writing profession is a fulfilling endeavor – if you make the most of it. For those of you who are looking to further your career as a writer, utilize one or all of these tips.

Author Bio: A freelance writer and blogging extraordinaire for seven years, Alvina Lopez now mainly contributes her expertise about online colleges to accreditedonlinecolleges.com. Her ultimate goal is to help future students discover their potential by enrolling in the right program for them. She also writes about trends in education, personal finance, and sustainable living. She loves getting feedback from her readers at alvina.lopez@gmail.com.