Motivation Challenges I Face as a Japanese Writer Translating into English

[Sam7010]

Looking at other people’s works and forum posts helps me stay motivated.
I used to do the same when I was writing in Japan, and now I feel it’s even more important when creating in an international space.

I’d love to hear—how do you stay motivated in your creative work?

 

[LiteraryWho]

Literally just persistence, tbh. I always write *something* every day (even if it's crap), and sometimes I write something productive.

 

[JayMark]

Looking at other people’s works and forum posts helps me stay motivated.
I used to do the same when I was writing in Japan, and now I feel it’s even more important when creating in an international space.

I’d love to hear—how do you stay motivated in your creative work?

Welcome to forums.
Sometimes its as simple as powering through and just forcing myself to write.
Sometimes its a nap. Sometimes its listening to some music.
Sometimes its sitting down with a pencil and paper and diagraming a chapter.
Sometimes its doing research for a theme. Sometimes its massive amounts of caffeine on a deadline.
Good luck with you writing!

 

[goth_dropping_in]

Looking at other people’s works and forum posts helps me stay motivated.
I used to do the same when I was writing in Japan, and now I feel it’s even more important when creating in an international space.

I’d love to hear—how do you stay motivated in your creative work?

There's no substitute for writing things you personally enjoy. The more that the material is personally compelling to you, the more you will be able to spend hour after hour on it. The simplest route to popularity is to simply refuse to stop publishing the same story on a regular and continuing basis, as far as I can tell, and the more personal enthusiasm you are able to bring to the material, the better it will be - both on the level of the writing seeming 'alive' and energetic, and on the level of the longer-term process being sustainable.

I don't care what kind of writing you find personally compelling, whatever it is, write it. For me it's kinky yuri erotica. For you it could be action scenes or mysteries or what have you. It could be your interest in collecting and fighting bugs in your back yard with the other weird kids, or it could be the world of giant robots, or it could be complicated locked rooms that make your readers scratch their heads. Find the things that make you happy to write. You are the only audience you are ever assured, so if you are not happy with it, you've failed at the first hurdle.

Sometimes people work through hurts or personal feelings with their work. It is my experience that this will happen regardless of whether you want it to or not, and forcing it is rarely a pleasant experience. Write naturally, and if something with deeper personal significance comes into your work, have your characters do or earn what you would want for yourself. Your readers will not always agree with this, but they are not you.

If you have trouble producing work consistently, I recommend getting involved in a leisure activity that requires frequent writing. For me it's role-playing online. Practice will improve your ability to produce longer works, and once you can produce longer works consistently, the advice about writing what you love comes into play.

Writing is very unlikely to ever make you much money, and you are unlikely to win much fame either. So tell the stories that matter to you, whatever those are. Life is too short to write what someone else wants from you.

 

[Sam7010]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses!
Continuing to write may sound simple, but perhaps it really is the most direct path.
I also realize now how important it is to feel attached to my own work—
It’s like sending a part of myself, almost like sending my own child out into the world.

 

[gaylolis]

get enough sleep, enjoy life and drink more water.

i feel what works for me is just to take my time and write at my own pace. instead of wanting to achieve certain standard like many popular authors show, i simply try to find what's natural for me and go from there. whatever advice there is, it won't work unless i adapt to what works for myself. that's how i end up learning something that lasts, because it's something of my own,

whether it's through the guidance of others, or outside help, it's no matter, as long it works to figure out something suitable for me.

not sure if it works to get motivated, but it's indeed better when the process is much more enjoyable.

 

[Sam7010]

I usually don’t drink much water, so I want to be more mindful of that from now on. Water really is important.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

How do I stay motivated? Well, until last week it was "find stories that want to be told and let them BE told" ... then it became "Wait... PocketFM wants that story? Damn, now I have to really write it instead of just dabbling..."

 

[AYM]

I usually don’t drink much water, so I want to be more mindful of that from now on. Water really is important.

Subliminal Messaging:
Drink more tea. Tea is good. Tea fosters peace. Tea creates harmony.

Tea is good.
Drink more tea.​

 

[Sam7010]

Events can really help boost motivation.
I think I’ll take a short break with some Japanese tea and wagashi (traditional sweets).