How to Get Motivated to Write an Essay
Are you unmotivated to write an essay? If so, read this article and learn how to get motivated!
When we’re faced with a task that we don’t want to do, the first instinct for many people is to find any excuse they can: “I don’t have enough time, I need more information, it’s not my responsibility.”
These excuses are easy; they make sense in our heads because they allow us to shift blame onto others. Most college students use these excuses to remain inactive without feeling bad about it.
However, if you want something done right (or at all), these kinds of excuses won’t help. You need motivation! And luckily, there are plenty of ways you can motivate yourself to write. Check out some of these tips and ideas to find your inner drive!
Draw inspiration from the past
Sometimes, the motivation to write comes from things we have accomplished in the past. Remember all the assignments you have done and the great feeling of accomplishment.
Essay writing may not be your cup of tea, but completing your assignment means much to your education. You can check your previous class assignments and the good grades you got for them. These will motivate you to write an essay without trying too hard.
Write a plan
If you know the structure of your assignment, then why waste time on not writing? You can easily write an essay if you have a plan to follow.
Start by brainstorming about the topic, then plan your points correctly to write an organized essay. After this, you can begin writing the first draft.
Ask for help
If you are new to essay writing, ask for help from a professional on how to go about it. Sometimes you lack motivation if you don’t know how to do something.
Find out how to write an essay if you are struggling with this. The internet will be your best friend in this quest. Look up the steps and follow them to become a better essay writer.
Set deadlines and celebrate milestones
Deadlines help you stay motivated because it means that something will be due soon. Set deadlines to work on your essay; it will motivate you to finish. Otherwise, you’ll miss your deadlines and maybe get bad scores for it.
When you’re done, celebrate! You’ve completed an assignment and set a good example for yourself. Remember to keep this motivation with you when the next assignment comes up.
Visualize the result
Visualization is one of the most powerful tools in motivation. Think about what you want to achieve, think about how great it will feel at the end, and then focus on it.
Try to imagine the scene in your head as vividly as possible; make it real for yourself! You may even think about what you will do after finishing your essay (e.g., watch a movie).
Create a conducive writing environment
Do whatever you need to find your writing motivation. If playing your favorite music will do the magic, get it on. Other ways of creating a good writing environment are:
- Putting yourself in a comfortable place where you will not be interrupted turning your phone on silent
- Decluttering
- Getting your favorite chair and your favorite snacks ready
- Marking out a specific amount of time to dedicate only to writing
Organize your work into smaller tasks
Writing essays can be hectic if you take the job as a chunk. Breaking the project into smaller, easily achievable tasks will make your work easier. Make the tasks you set for yourself are achievable and realistically laid out.
For instance, you can determine your word count for the whole essay, then decide how many words you can write per hour. Also, focus and complete or task before you move the next.
Do your research
When you do your research well, writing becomes more manageable. You’ll have all your materials ready to draft your work. Proper research includes gathering enough information to make a remarkable essay.
Remember to take notes as you conduct your research because you will need them later when writing the draft of your essay. Thorough research will save you time once you start the writing process.
You can use credible online sources to get relevant information or visit your school library. Credibility is critical when researching for a paper.
Gather all your writing tools
Having everything you need before you start writing will make your work easier and faster. Get all the notebooks, pens, sticky notes, textbooks, and research materials you need.
Put everything in one place to avoid losing them. Keep your work always visible and accessible so you won’t waste time looking for them later.
Do not procrastinate
Procrastination can be destructive to your writing motivation because it makes the task feel less important than other tasks. Avoid putting off your work for tomorrow or the next day when it’s due today!
Starting early will reduce the amount of stress you experience as the deadline draws near, and it’ll give you more time to edit and proofread your draft.
Some of the ways to defeat procrastination are:
- Having a planner to schedule your tasks for the day
- Prioritizing your task list by putting deadlines
- Using a timer to monitor your working hour and take regular breaks
- Rewarding yourself for all the hard work you put into your paper
Get started
At some point, the writing process must kick off. If you suddenly find yourself motivated and ready to write, go for it! Don’t wait until you feel like it. Just start and motivate yourself as you progress. Sometimes all you need is to begin.
Once ideas start flowing, you’ll discover writing essays is easier than you thought. One idea leads to the next, and before you know it, your essay is done. Starting is like opening a door. If you can’t open it, you’ll never know what’s behind it.
Create an outline and follow it
The best way to start writing an essay is by creating an outline, even if it’s only in your head. Having a basic idea of what you will write about will boost your productivity by keeping you organized and on track.
Create an outline of your essay to stay focused and give you the big picture of what will be included. It is a great way to organize your thoughts, so you are not tempted to write about everything like in the introduction.
When creating your outline, start with the essential points. These will be your main ideas and should be placed in an introduction. Next, add related points that support each other. These will go under your topic sentences. You may choose to put some points under subheadings.
Once you have your outline set up, follow the order and write the first draft of your essay. Make sure to include your main points and use evidence from credible sources.
Write a draft first
You don’t have to write a perfect essay from the start as this will give you unnecessary pressure. Write a draft first. Then you can go back, edit it and polish the sentences.
The first draft of your essay will indeed have many mistakes because you are writing as ideas come to mind. You won’t remember everything you thought about, so don’t waste time trying to.
Save the introduction for last
Sometimes you can’t seem to get the right words for an introduction. Don’t stress over it. Allow your brain to deliver the rest of the content and save the introduction for last.
A good essay needs a strong introduction because it catches the reader’s attention and follows through with an engaging argument. Once you finish your essay, read the whole thing and brainstorm for a great first line.
You don’t have to follow the traditional five-paragraph essay structure to write a good introductory sentence.
One great way to start your essay is by asking a question:
- “Do you think it’s possible to write in a diary with an assigned word count?”
- “I’ve never been very good at math. Should I still try to write about it?”
This essay writing tip can’t guarantee your grade or impress your teacher because everyone has their own opinion; however, it’s worth trying.
Know when to take a break
Motivation is not an endless source of energy. Sometimes you need to take a break from your work.
Take a short break when you feel overwhelmed or frustrated about the task in front of you. Breaks help when you can’t concentrate anymore or when you need some inspiration.
You don’t have to take a break for too long. A short lunch or a quick walk around the block will restore your writing motivation. You can also grab a coffee and a healthy snack to recharge before you go back to your workstation.
Take breaks in between your tasks to keep your mind focused and fresh. When you take breaks for longer periods, you may even forget what you were doing.
Tick your list
Accomplishing a task motivates you to do the next. Make sure you tick items off your task list so that you can keep track of your progress. This will make you feel good about what you’ve already accomplished and motivate you to do more.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many tasks because this will make you feel discouraged. The feeling of being overwhelmed makes us think we can’t finish our work, so keep your tasks manageable by prioritizing.
Having a task list is also helpful as it helps you avoid procrastinating. When you write down your goals, you become more aware of the task. You can plan your day and focus on one task at a time instead of jumping from one to another.
Try freewriting
Try having fun as you write. Let your thoughts flow without restricting yourself too much. Only make sure to follow your outline and keep yourself on task. As long as your thoughts are in line with your theme, you’re safe.
Freewriting means you write whatever comes to your mind without thinking or censoring anything. Let your thoughts flow, and let your pen go. Do this for a set period of ten to fifteen minutes, then stop and take a break.
This writing style helps writers get in touch with their creative side. It’s also an excellent way to loosen up and get your thoughts flowing before writing the first essay draft.
Reasons for Demotivation
For you to find ways of getting your writing motivation back, you must identify the reasons why you’re demotivated. You can only solve the problems you understand. Below are some common causes of demotivation among writers:
Lack of ideas
Researching for an essay can drain your creativity. You need the inspiration to write persuasively and with authority. You may run out of ideas if you’re writing about a common topic.
To overcome this, find creative ways to make your essay stand out. You can do this by adding random facts or researching new information that shows your unique view of the topic.
Don’t start researching for your essay until you get inspired. You can brainstorm some ideas for your topic by jotting down anything that comes to mind.
You may brainstorm with a pen and paper, or you can use online tools to help you generate ideas. Try looking for free online tools that can spark your creativity and inspire your writing.
Blocked creativity
Your creative juices may be blocked if you spend too much time researching and thinking about your topic. Once you’re inspired to do the research, you will work harder to find information and facts.
When your creative juices get blocked, try doing something completely different for a while, such as taking a quick break. If you usually research your essays sitting in front of your computer, try moving to a different location, such as the library or coffee shop.
Boring and dry topics
Writing about a topic that you don’t feel strongly about can make your writing dull and uninspiring. You can avoid this by doing something as simple as conducting a quick Google search to see if the topic you’re interested in is trending.
If it’s not, then try to find something that interests you. You can write about things that interest you and that people love. This way, your writing will not only be interesting but trustworthy and reliable.
Writer’s block
Writer’s block is frustrating because you want to write, but you can’t think of anything interesting to say. It may happen if your topic feels too limiting or close to your heart.
An easy way to overcome writer’s block is by first finding the title for your essay. Once you have a title, you can create a thesis statement and outline for your essay.
Only after doing these things should you begin writing your draft. This tip has helped many writers overcome the dreaded writer’s block.
Perfectionism and criticism
Perfectionism and criticism can also be demotivating factors. When you feel like your writing is not good enough, you may avoid writing altogether.
To avoid this, you must understand that writing is a process and not an event. You don’t need to hit your drafts out of the park from the beginning.
Don’t quit when you get stuck or make a mistake. Keep writing and editing until your final draft is up to your standards. Also, remember that writing is not a competition, and you don’t need to be the best writer in the world.
Summary
As a writer, motivation can’t always be there waiting for you when you need it. You have to create a good writing environment, work on your research and task organization. Also, remember to take breaks between your tasks and start as early as possible to avoid delays.
Tasks can seem overwhelming, but you will feel motivated enough to push through if you follow the tips given. Motivation is often short-lived, but with a bit of help from these tips, you will be writing your heart out in no time.
I‘m a freelance content and SEO writer with a passion for finding the perfect combination of words to capture attention and express a message. I create catchy, SEO-friendly content for websites, blogs, articles, and social media. My experience spans many industries, including health and wellness, technology, education, business, and lifestyle. My clients appreciate my ability to craft compelling stories that engage their target audience, but also help to improve their website’s search engine rankings. I’m also an avid learner and stay up to date on the latest SEO trends. I enjoy exploring new places and reading up on the latest marketing and SEO strategies in my free time.
