Dear Diary,

Today I’m going to talk about motivation.

Perhaps it will start off about writing, but I think it will end up being about life, as inevitably everything does. The two are intrinsically linked, you see – writing and life. In many ways my writing is my life; it is, quite honestly, the most important part of me. The thing I cherish most within myself. But also, the way I tackle my writing is most probably how I tackle my life: head on, full on, with plenty of ups and downs.

I’ve found some sort of comfort in my everyday routine recently, a secret joy in the 9-5, which has allowed me plenty of time to focus on other things. My book being the most important of those things. Getting up early and fitting an hour of editing before work, editing my novel on trains and planes and automobiles, thinking about it lovingly all over again.

I don’t think motivation is the steady dripping of a leaking tap. I think sometimes you can turn the tap on and it all comes gushing out happily, and other times, no matter how hard you try, the tap does not turn on and the water is all dried up.

There are things you can do to keep the tap on, however. You can schedule time to focus on your writing – an hour here, an evening there. You can force yourself do it, even when you don’t want to, and, even better, you can feel the rush and joy of wanting to do it. You can tell your friends and family and colleagues that you’re a writer because, really, you are and in doing this you’re just telling the truth. Most importantly you can visualise everything you’ve ever wanted and know, that if you work hard enough, it can come ture.

You can also sit in a London cafe at 8am and write a blog post about motivation, knowing that it’s not really something you’re ever going to lack. You believe in yourself and you believe in your writing: nothing has ever been simpler. And with that kind of motivation, it all has to come true.

Doesn’t it?

Hoping against hope and believing in belief.

Yours,

Beth