10 Ways to Make Writing Rewarding
“Writing is the thief of joy,” one of my first tutoring clients told me.
They weren’t exaggerating, and unfortunately, many of my students feel the same. Kids and teenagers often cope with this difficulty by avoiding writing. Avoidance feels better in the short term, but it also creates problems:
Avoidance leads to skill gaps.
Skill gaps make writing more difficult.
Difficulty leads to avoidance.
Rinse and repeat.
We can start to reverse that cycle by forming positive associations with writing. Here are ten of my favorite ways to do this.
Part 1: For Writers
1. Pair writing with something pleasant.
Turn on some nice classical music, drink a cup of tea, write with a nice pen, format with a color palette, or change your document to a more pleasing font. These adjustments offset the stress and tedium that writing sometimes brings.
2. Imagine your future self.
Close your eyes and picture what it will be like to complete this task. How will you feel? Relieved? Happy? Proud? Those benefits can feel far-off. Picturing them makes them more salient and compelling. (If you’re a parent looking to help a student use this strategy, see tip 8.)
3. Celebrate each win.
Students often view success as a binary: either I finish the assignment (success), or I don’t (failure). We can reframe this perception by identifying smaller victories along the way. These might include:
Getting started (no small feat!)
Making a plan
Choosing a topic
Generating ideas
Asking for help
Writing a draft
4. Bribe yourself.
I got myself through the last phase of my honors thesis with the promise of cupcakes. I regret nothing. The thesis was finished, the cupcakes were eaten, and valuable insights into frosting flavors were obtained. If cupcakes aren’t your thing, you might try:
Short videos
Time outside
A chapter of a good book
A TV episode
A quick visit to a favorite website–use takeafive.com to auto-quit your tab after five minutes are up
5. Send your inner editor on vacation.
Inner editors tend to be negative. I haven’t met anyone with a voice in their head saying, “Way to go! You’re doing great! Keep it up!” Usually, it’s the opposite: “That’s no good! Terrible idea! Delete it at once!” The constant stream of nitpicking and criticism can quickly spiral into despair.
To counter that negativity, try addressing your inner editor directly: “Thanks for the input, but you’re off-duty right now.”
Here’s another trick: Inner editors often want you to delete a supposedly-not-good-enough word or sentence. Try highlighting that text in black instead. You won’t be able to see it, but it will be there if you decide it wasn’t so bad, after all, and you’ll have it on the screen as a visible record of the work that you’ve put in.
6. Gamify.
Turn drafting into a challenge. How many words can you write in four minutes? How fast can you finish that outline? This method works especially well for ADHDers who crave stimulation.
Part 2: For Parents, Teachers, and Coaches
7. Cheer them on.
Cheerleading doesn’t have to be complicated or elaborate. I prefer to keep it simple: “That looks great. Nice work. Keep it up!”
8. Model long-term thinking.
In moments of struggle, it can be hard to remember the big picture. I like to name the long-term benefits of a student’s hard work by saying:
“Your future self will be so glad that you [started this essay early/organized your notes so thoughtfully/went the extra mile].”
“I’m imagining you applying this skill to [insert activity that the student cares about]. It’s going to be so helpful.”
“You’re doing such a great job. Next time you tackle a similar task, it’ll be easier because you’ll have this experience under your belt.”
9: Remember that sharing is caring.
When your kid writes something awesome, ask permission to share it with the world. In doing so, you’re sending the message that their writing has value. Try these scripts:
“That’s hilarious! Can I show it to your mom?”
“I love the phrase you used here. That’s such a great description. We should put it on the fridge!”
10: Encourage them to set their own rewards.
As kids reach middle and high school, they start taking responsibility for task initiation, which means they need to motivate themselves. You can support this skill by asking, “What are you looking forward to today? How can you use that as a reward?”
Alternatively, try Mad-Libs: “After I ___, I get to ___.”
After I write this draft, I get to relax for the rest of the weekend.
After I turn in my outline, I get to paint/read/watch a YouTube video.
After I choose a topic, I get to take a break.
After I finish this essay, I get to never think about it again for the rest of my life.
Sometimes, that final reward is the most powerful.
