I'm writing because I feel like I want to 'live' through the story of my MC. Many times, I watch something and wonder, 'what would I do in their place'.
Also, it keeps me awake when I'm in boring meetings at work.
What Makes You Continue to Write?
So_mi I took a hiatus during my entire last college semester and part of the summer before. Life had took an unexpected turn, so writing happened to fall to the side among other things. Granted, I wasn't in the best health ever, but I didn't want to hurt myself more (because of time and responsibility constraints) to write. Thankfully, my readers were understanding, and I didn't lose much (if any really).
I think if I had forced myself to write, it wouldn't have done myself or my story an good. In fact, now that I'm back, I have a renewed energy and determination to continue. So having a break can actually be the best motivation instead of trying to force motivation out. Because then, as others said, it becomes a chore, which is the least ideal for creativity. So relax, unwind, pig out, do whatever the hell you feel like, and when the times comes, your mindset will be more than enough ready to tackle writing again.
Best of luck to you! Have a good life and New Year!
I'm bored so I write
I'm busy at work so I write
I'm Spirit so I write
Rak0 this is actually the reason why I wanted to write! I was inspired by one the books i read and had an idea that 'what if...' and before i knew it, BAM 220+ chapters out! Thanks for your input! Having fun while doing it is really different from seeing writing as a task but the problem is... the silent pressure I give myself because of my writers. I feel bad since I don't update regularly :( And i kept going on breaks since I have trouble with coordinating words together since english is not my first language :( and because of that, its draining away my motivation to continue.
So_mi I can't write properly until I'm in the proper mindset to write
This is the single biggest mistake amateur writers make. If you wait until you feel like writing, you will very rarely write.
The best way to do this is to set a simple goal, and make yourself stick to it. It will feel sometimes like you are wasting time, but trust me, as someone who has done this professionally, 90% of being a successful writer is being disciplined enough to keep writing without motivation or inspiration. You don't have to write every single day, but you do have to write consistently, want to or not. The more you do this and the further you get into your habit, the easier it will become, and the less effort it will take.
Also, try these two tricks-
First, keep a notebook on you solely for writing. Use it only for taking notes, jotting ideas, or recording observations or snippets of dialogue. Develop a habit of using it daily, and re-reading it often. This will help feed the garden of your imagination so it is fertile for new writing to come out.
Second, always end your current writing session halfway though a sentence, dialogue, or scene. This will give you an immediate jumping off point that will get you moving without needing a lot of thought. Most of the difficulty and anxiety around writing typically manifests within the first few minutes of starting a writing session, and is largely based around not knowing what to write. This is due to it taking time for your mind to settle into the space it needs to be in to write effectively. Save yourself from this struggle by making the next thing that needs to be written obvious. Doing this will give you a moment to let your mind warm up and fall into a writing flow, and should make your writing less anxiety-filled and more productive.
Hope these help!
So_mi oof writing in a language your not entirely comfortable with is a pain. Hope you get back into it. And hey you don't need to feel bad. I'm actually writing most of my story before publishing
Lol. So I dont have to worry about updates and also so I give myself plenty of breathing room to continue writing. Take it at your place and don't stress
The_Cheese ooohhh i seeeee. We're quite the same. It's just that I really can't write if I don't feel like writing even though there's a good idea that popped into my mind. It takes me about 3 days max to forcefully write out one chapter while if I am in the mood, it takes me just an hour or two.
Now, the thing is........ I kinda have to update for 2 weeks straight for a contract... and I have noooo idea how to do that since I am physically literally PHYSICALLY unable to stack chapters T_T
Also, I will add that writing helps me stave off my self-loathing, depression, and the ever-present existential dread of my own mortality that I live under.
So, there's that.
Will now buy a cute notebook for this ehehehe
Immovable087 hahahahaha I see. That's cute 
Clownac makes a good point to. There are a variety of things that keep you proactive on you writing development.
Only tip I can give is have a goal/purpose/direction so you never fall into a I'm stuck circumstance. Because everything you choose to add or not are the details of your story that give it personality and establish your mark as an author.
I contrary to clownac section my works. Making my story as a series of episodes. This allows me to have fun and choose the next scene based on the limits/laws of my world.
Being half through something makes me ponder longer on how to go about it stressing me and prolonging my advancements. I prefer to end at the start of the new scene.
kazesenken yess, sometimes you can't help but be jealous of the world you made and can make you think, "what if i was the mc" so bad. That's also one of my motivators!
“You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”
― Jodi Picoult
The first step of being an author.
Ending at the end of a scene is usually, though not always, how I prefer to do it, so long as I have a clear idea of what the next scene is. If I'm already struggling in a scene, then to me it makes sense to stop somewhere in the middle, and return later. A struggle usually means I need time for my mind to process, and sitting there getting nothing done is not a good way to do that.