How do you keep on writing when you're not motivated?

Laila's thoughts:

For me, something I've always done is listen to playlists on Spotify that I make specifically for my WIPs. As soon as an idea hits, I make a playlist for the book, and I add songs that come on through shuffle that I feel like will fit the mood. Anytime I'm preparing to write, I listen to that book's playlist, and if I'm not very motivated, I find that the playlists sometimes help get me going again.

More recently, I've become obsessed with character aesthetics and mood boards. When I'm not feeling motivated to write, I'll take a break to find images that fit a certain character or the story in general, and I'll plop them into a layout app. This helps me get excited for the story again!

Yvonne's thoughts:

You know, it's okay to take a break from what you're writing... but that doesn't mean you don't have to write. Write something else. For example, I ran across this self-compassion exercise the other day. For it, you write a letter of encouragement and support for a friend who is struggling. Then, you edit it to make the focus yourself instead of your friend, without changing the encouragement! How different would our mindsets be if we treated ourselves the way we treated a best friend?