16 Posts on Writing Mindset to Keep You Motivated All Year

I am writing this blog post high off of NYE—that’s New Year Energy. Everyone loves a fresh start, and I’m absolutely including myself in that.

As I mentioned, my word of the year for 2025 is transformation. One thing that hit me hard as I was preparing for this winter arc of mine was not only how much I’ve changed, but also how important it is to acknowledge the changes so far—big and small.

Over my years as Writer’s Atelier’s administrative assistant, I wrote dozens of blog posts covering everything from mindset to character development to productivity hacks. In the process, I accidentally documented my growth as a writer. While those posts were originally published on another platform, I realized how valuable it would be to gather them all in one place for you. So that’s what I’m going to do all throughout 2025.

In this series of round-ups, I’ve organized my most helpful writing advice by theme, so you can quickly find what you need—whether that’s tips to reignite your motivation, create compelling characters, or stay organized during the drafting process. Each post in these collections reflects my own journey as a writer and story coach, and I hope they bring as much clarity and inspiration to you as they did to me while writing them.

Reflecting on Your Writing Journey

20 Ways to Celebrate All Your Writing Wins This Year

Read this if you struggle with taking the time to recognize and honor your efforts and successes. My closest group of writing friends have all made a promise to celebrate the little wins this year, and you can bet I opened this blog post immediately.

What Writers Can Do to Prepare for A New Year

Read this if you’re starting the new year a little later in January than the traditionally calendar does. Or if you’re just looking for a fresh start regardless of what month it is when you’re reading this.

Overcoming Challenges

4 Reasons Why You’re Abandoning Your Projects

Read this if dropping WIPs like they’re hot is your MO. In order to stop that habit, you have to uncover why you’re abandoning your projects. And you know you can listen to me because…

Confessions of a Former Project Abandoner

Read this if you’re looking for a success story. Yes, I am a former, recovered project abandoner. In this blog post, I gave a brief history of the epiphany that led to my recovery as well as three of my best tips for teaching yourself to finish your WIP.

Everyone Has a Drawer Project—Here’s Why That’s a Good Thing

Read this if you’re feeling guilty for putting that beloved novel of yours in a drawer all that time ago, or if you’re considering shelving your current WIP. (Full disclosure: I have a novel that’s in a drawer right now, I don’t know when or if it’ll ever see the light of day. So now you know for certain that you’re not alone.)

It’s Not Just You—Writing a Book is Challenging

Read this if you’re suffering from a serious case of impostor syndrome, or if your new year’s resolution was to write a book this year. I wrote this in January 2024 after learning 25 percent of people will have quit on their goals before halfway through the month.

What to Do When You Get a Bad Review

Read this if the inevitable has happened. You’re not for everybody, and your ideas aren’t going to be for everybody. Everyone who’s ever been so bold as to put pen to paper has earned negative feedback. You can get through this, too.

What to Do When None of Your Story Ideas Spark Joy

Read this if the wind has been taken out of your sails. Sometimes nothing sounds right to write in the moment. You can either spin your wheels or you can try some creative ways to get that spark.

Balancing Writing & Life

7 Practical Tips for Protecting Your Writing Time

Read this if you’re anybody, really. There are tips for protecting your writing time from the people you live with as well as tips for protecting your writing time from yourself.

Dear Writer: Get a New Hobby

Read this if you eat, sleep, and breathe writing words. It sounds counterintuitive, but doing something other than writing can actually help you come back to the page. There are quite a few ideas for wordless hobbies in this one, if you’re in need of suggestions.

PSA: It’s Okay to Be Unproductive When You’re Sick

Read this if you’re just as much of a workaholic as I am, and if you beat yourself up for not hitting your goals and expectations when things happen that are outside of your control. Or, you know, if you’re sick.

The Hidden Benefits of a Day Job for Writers

Read this if you’re a writer who either can’t quit their day job or is coming to terms with the fact that a day job is necessary for the season of life you’re in right now. Been there. Done that. Honestly, I might go back to a day job someday, and I’m just fine with that.

Why You Should Press Pause on Your Writing Project

Read this if you’ve tried everything to get yourself to write, but for some reason—be it time, mindset, motivation, or a particularly tangled plot thread—you can’t get it finished. Or, if you just plain don’t want to write the story you “should” be writing.

Now it’s time to carpe diem.

If you’re ready to start right now, download the Writing Session Tracker, print it out, and stick it above your desk, inside your bullet journal, tucked into your bag’s pocket, or beside your laptop. Like I suggested in some of the blog posts above, consistently tracking those writing sprints helps motivate you. It worked on me. (And you can bet I’ll have blog posts about that coming soon!)