Are you struggling to maintain the internal motivation to write consistently? Do you often find yourself dropping a story before it’s completed?

An accountability partner might be the perfect external motivator to help you achieve your goals.

An accountability partner is someone who helps you remain consistent and stay on track to accomplish your writing goals. 

They are a support system that can also recharge your motivation.

Sometimes, just knowing that someone will be checking in on your goals is enough to keep you writing.

And while we definitely want to build internal motivation to sustain us in the long term, combining that with an accountability partner can be super helpful.

Today, we’re going to explore how to find the ideal accountability partner for your writing journey and establish a supportive network.

An accountability partner needs to be someone you can trust and who is reliable.

Bonus points if they’re also a writer who totally understands your unique journey.

Writing groups, online communities and fellow writers in your inner circle could all be the first place you look for an accountability partner. 

There are even platforms out there that can match you with one nowadays!

Check out Focusmate, a platform to help you accomplish your tasks by providing you with a virtual buddy.

When picking an accountability partner, find someone with a similar goal to yours.

With two writers in the room, your check-ins will be targeted and valuable.

You and your accountability partner need some structure. It’s not enough to think that you’ll motivate each other whenever the need arises.

Determine how often you’ll check in. Will it be every Friday? Every other week?

Commit and schedule a time where both of you will share the progress you have made and the tricky bits you’ve encountered.

Specify the writing goal that you are seeking support with. Is it hitting a weekly word count? Or a longer-term deadline that you want to accomplish?

This will allow you and your accountability partner to ensure that your support is focused in the right direction.

You’re getting deeper than a surface-level motivational nudge.

Together, you’ll focus on the progress each person has made towards the writing goal. You can acknowledge setbacks and seek solutions together.

Keep the support gentle and encouraging.

It’s not about forcing your accountability partner to meet deadlines for fear of your reaction.

This process should be one that you’re excited to continue to truly motivate you long term. 

Writing a story doesn’t need to be a lonely endeavour.

With an accountability partner, writing becomes a collaborative experience filled with encouragement and motivation.

And, since we want to keep the focus on getting our story written, we want a simple and easy accountability routine to follow.

Once you’ve found your partner, use the steps about to help you craft an accountability routine that motivates and excites you both!

Seeking more resources to help you build a writing routine that’ll stick? 

Check out this blog post on maintaining a consistent writing habit or this one on creating a weekly writing schedule that fits into your lifestyle.

Talk soon!

Julia