Screenwriting : Basic question, but how do you guys keep yourself dedicated to writing? by Michael Olderr

you have to love the hunt, not the reward in the beginning

By enjoying the ride ;-)

Ironically, I don't actively push myself to stay dedicated and the freedom it brings actually keeps me chasing the dream long term. People say you have to write every day and push hard like it's full time job, but those people burn out quickly and disappear.

Some people aspire to be a writer, some are born to be a writer, some can do nothing else. Be what you are.

I set deadlines for myself, Michael Olderr. Job deadlines also help. And working on projects I enjoy helps.

5 -7 year plan per idea. Maybe 10+ years or never. Unprofitable hobby given the mental time & physical labor

It is just something I do to kill time so I'm not really dedicated to writing anymore.

Same time, Same place, Same warm up. Like a daily run, the stretching exercises get your brain in the zone, and the repetition of the mental and physical actions puts you in the "zone" to succeed. After about a month, you don't even realize you are doing it.

You know for me, I don't carve out a time every day for writing. I carve out a time for me that's in "creation" mode versus "consumption" mode.

Most of the time it's writing.

But sometimes, it playing the guitar. Other times, it's meditation.

But the time is for me to create something.

In the tough patches I hold myself accountable by the simple facts -- if I don't do the work, it won't get done. Otherwise, Pat Alexander nailed it precisely You truly have to love the hunt over the reward.

I keep daily/weekly goals (scene count/page count/etc.). The key is that they be attainable to increase the likely hood of hitting them and encourage momentum.

Writing every day is not so much about dedication as it is about compulsion...anyways, I write scripts when I come across an interesting story that can be said in cinema way (meaning it has a lot of movement)...it may happen I nail two in a row, it may happen flies buzz for a couple of years...

i live n breathe this bru u gotta love it

Sometimes its difficult. If you're a perfectionist you can also be prone to procrastination. The best way around it is to think about it as habit forming. Doing a little regularly will make you better at the thing you want to achieve then you were the day before. Success is like an iceberg, there’s a huge amount beneath the surface of what others can see.

I may not always be writing but I am constantly running stories in my head. Sometimes you need to sit with an idea for a while before writing it all down.

Hey Michael Olderr - that is a great question! A lot of writers struggle with that. Really it is not about "motivation" it is about discipline. Setting aside time every day and sitting down with a routine or ritual to write. Same time every day. Get coffee or tea or some other beverage. Eliminate distractions like phones and TV and then write. It doesn't matter what you write - it could be a scene or a character description or an outline for an idea - just allow yourself to fill up the page with words. It will be like going to the gym - it's work and at first it sucks but then as you do it more you start to crave it and you won't want to miss a day.

Here's the method I have found works for a lot of people... Decide on an amount of time you will spend writing and a frequency. Keep the length of time brief and the frequency as often as possible - let's say 20 minutes every weekday. Start with a writing goal you can reasonably accomplish in 15 minutes, say writing one scene. Spend the first 15 minutes of your time period writing. Spend the last five minutes deciding what you will do the next day. If you did not finish what you had assigned to yourself, then the new assignment is always to finish. When you sit down, you know your assignment and have been thinking about it in the back of your mind for an entire day, so you can just get right to work. Then the last five minutes set the assignment for the next day, repeat, repeat. Very important and counter-intuitive! - Do not ever exceed your allotted writing time no matter what! If you are in the middle of something, pens down, write notes for yourself for the next day's assignment to finish. If you have extra time, go take a nap or watch a show. If you allow yourself to go over your time limit, the next day you will be tempted to skip a day with the excuse that you did "double" the day before. That breaks the cycle, and that's when it all falls apart and one day of not writing turns into a month or a year.

Always remember why you do it and that genius comes in spurts. Live your life. The stories will write themselves.

Because I have a dream of seeing my name on the screen.

Learn to enjoy it. Eventually, even the harder stuff becomes fun.

For the same reasons a Junkie needs a fix.

I hire angry gang bangers and nuns.

I keep a wall chart marking the number of pages I write every week. The weeks that are blank I sometimes feel guilty about.

I make comic books and enjoy selling my work to new customers.

The passion for finding words in touching sentences. Keeping the flow coming from your heart and soul. Plus what touches you deeply. Feeling your characters when they wake you in the night. This incredible sense of creating worlds maybe someone can join one day.