Starting a project is always exciting and there is a lot of initial energy to keep you going because ideas are made of thin air. They are easy to dream up and just as easily they can fall away. Bringing an idea into reality takes work and the more you create, the weightier it becomes. Maintaining momentum during the middle of a draft or project is crucial to any serious writer. In all creative work it can feel there are times when you feel like quitting. The middle of the project is the most challenging for me. I am too invested to stop but there is so much left to do that I get overwhelmed. So what can a writer do when they reach that middle point of the project? How can you maintain momentum?
Here are five ideas that might help you create the necessary support system to carry you through to the finish line.
Break it Down
Try breaking the project into smaller components. Sections, chapters, even paragraphs and sentences. Sometimes when I am struggling I will focus on a trouble spot. I will even copy the segment into a new document so that I am really focused on just that. I work on it as if it is the only thing I have to do. Finding trouble spots and working them out one at a time can be really helpful. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and confidence that you can tackle the tough parts without becoming overwhelmed by the whole thing.
Have Cheerleaders
Every creative endeavor needs a few cheerleaders; those untiring supporters who think your work is amazing at every stage. Support is so important during the isolation of writing. Talk to someone or several people on a regular basis about your process and the project itself. If you trust them, read some of your work to them, not for a critique but for encouragement. Knowing that someone is waiting to hear a few chapters that I am working on, will keep me motivated, especially when I know they will not criticize the work. Having others believe unconditionally in you and your work can really help.
Create Constraints
Sometimes the simplest thing I can do to maintain momentum is a constraint. Typically we think of constraints as something negative but if it is used in the right way at the correct time for your personality and the project, a little push or some external pressure can be very helpful. Give yourself a short amount of time to work and then when the time is up, stop. Or provide yourself a deadline so you can procrastinate. Procrastination can be an effective form of constraint. Putting off our project until there is enough pressure will provide the momentum to keep going. There are many ways of creating constraints. Find one that works for you.
Collaborate
Sometimes the problem isn’t just momentum, it could be that there is a road block. Collaborating with another writer to help solve the problem or to come up with a new angle can infuse your work with new energy. Collaborating can also reinforce the feeling of significance of the work. Just bringing it out of isolation and sharing it feels like seeing it anew.
Stay in the Present
Staying in the moment is easier said than done. But practice letting go of anything but the moment in front of you. Don’t focus on when you will finish and how wonderful that will feel. Don’t look behind you and judge the work you have already done as not good enough. Just stay present and that alone will give you added momentum. One sentence at a time.
These are just a few ideas that I myself use when I am feeling the lagging middle of my project. Every person is different though and I encourage you to respect the challenge of the lagging middle in your own creative work and find the solution that works best for you.
