24. Finishing the first draft: Staying motivated

Many writers dream of publication, but you can’t fine tune your piece of writing, let alone pitch it to the right publisher, until you have a finished writing that draft. If only 5% of writers finish their first draft, how can you set yourself up for success to ensure you’re part of that group?In today’s episode, Erin is sharing how she finished her first draft in 2022! Her biggest piece of advice is to understand how you personally can motivate yourself, because we all have those moments when we lose steam, even when writing a story we’re excited about.Erin also covers the topics of positive reinforcement and creating a rewards system, tracking progress, and sharing your wins. Tune in for all this and more to finish that first draft! About Erin: For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent. Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.Connect with Erin: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning  Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite Book a free 30-minute discovery call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting Send us Fan MailREADY TO TAKE YOUR WRITING FURTHER? Join our Patreon community and access our vibrant Discord writing group to get writing prompts, participate in sprints, download free resources, and more: https://www.patreon.com/erinptcanningeditor