Tony Tips Tuesdays: Don’t Lose Momentum

Welcome to this week’s Tony Tips Tuesday, and happy 22nd day of International Black Women’s History Month. Today’s theme is a quiet storm of truth: Momentum matters. Writing is a journey of bursts and blocks, of flow and friction. But in the in-between, in the small daily steps—momentum keeps you moving forward.

Don’t lose momentum. Build on every win, every word, every breakthrough. Small progress is still progress.

Whether you’re in your first draft, stuck in edits, navigating rejection, or riding the high of publication, your most important job is not perfection. It’s persistence. It’s honoring your progress, no matter how small. Today, we’re unpacking what it means to keep momentum in your creative journey and how Black women writers—historically and today—have modeled that perseverance.

Why Momentum Is Your Creative Lifeline

Momentum isn’t about speed—it’s about sustainability. It’s the gentle push that gets you back to the desk when inspiration is dry. It’s the daily habit of showing up. The small wins that build confidence. The rituals that protect your creativity.

Momentum matters because:

• It keeps your vision fresh.

  
  

• It helps you overcome doubt.

  
  

• It keeps you emotionally connected to your story.

  
  

• It turns writing into a lifestyle, not just a task.

Without momentum, passion fades. With it, even rough seasons become bearable because you’re still in motion.

Strategies to Keep Momentum Alive

1. Celebrate Every Win (Big or Small)

Finished a chapter? That’s a win. Wrote 100 words today? Win. Cut 1,000 words to make a scene tighter? Also a win.

Momentum is built by honoring what you have done instead of mourning what you haven’t.

2. Create a Ritual That Grounds You

Rituals build rhythm.

• Light a candle before you write.

  
  

• Start with a favorite song.

  
  

• Free-write for 5 minutes before diving into your manuscript.

Your brain will learn: this is writing time.

3. End on a Cliffhanger

Leave a sentence unfinished. Stop in the middle of a scene. This makes it easier to jump back in the next day—because your brain stays curious.

4. Avoid the Perfection Trap

Don’t polish too soon. First drafts are for momentum. Editing is for precision. Mixing the two can stall your progress.

5. Track Your Progress

Use a calendar. Star your writing days. Build a streak. Visual momentum is a powerful motivator.

What Breaks Momentum

1. Overthinking

Endless plotting, excessive research, or second-guessing your direction can grind your flow to a halt.

2. Comparing Yourself to Others

Their pace is not your pace. Their path is not your path.

3. Burnout

Pushing too hard without rest can crash your momentum. Rest is part of progress.

How Black Women Writers Taught Us Momentum

On this 22nd day of International Black Women’s History Month, we honor women who built momentum against impossible odds.

Toni Morrison

Wrote before dawn while raising children and editing other people’s books. Her discipline, her consistency—momentum in motion.

Alice Walker

She journaled, she drafted, she kept showing up. The Color Purple wasn’t lightning—it was built line by line.

Roxane Gay

Her momentum came from voice and volume. Essays, tweets, books, blogs—she created with fearless consistency.

Brit Bennett

From The Mothers to The Vanishing Half, her ability to keep exploring themes of identity and inheritance speaks to a creative rhythm rooted in clarity.

These women didn’t write every day because they had endless inspiration. They wrote because the work deserved their momentum.

What Momentum Looks Like in S.O.L.A.D.™

In my novel S.O.L.A.D.™: Soldiers of Light Against Darkness™, momentum isn’t just a writing strategy—it’s embedded in the story.

Kevin, Juanita, and Wiseman J. don’t win with one bold move. They win by staying in the fight. By getting up each time. By building faith, skill, and community—one small victory at a time.

The battles are spiritual. The journeys are emotional. The growth is gradual. But momentum makes the mission unstoppable.

My own process writing S.O.L.A.D.™ was rooted in that same rhythm. I didm't always have 10-hour writing days. I had faith, consistency, and the courage to come back—even after setbacks.

Writing Exercises to Regain or Sustain Momentum

1. The 15-Minute Dash

Set a timer. Write anything for 15 minutes. No edits. Just flow.

2. Sentence Seed

Start with this line: “She almost didn’t come back.” Finish the scene.

3. Journal Your Resistance

Why haven’t you been writing? Don’t judge. Just name it. Momentum starts with honesty.

4. Write a Letter to Your Future Self

Tell them what you’re building. Let that become your anchor.

Celebrate Small Wins Along the Way

Momentum thrives on celebration. And sometimes, the most important victories aren’t massive milestones—they’re the little moments of discipline and breakthrough.

• That first paragraph after a dry spell.

  
  

• A completed chapter you fought through.

  
  

• Sending your manuscript to a beta reader.

  
  

• Choosing to keep writing after a rejection.

Every time you keep going, you win.

Celebrate because:

• It builds positive reinforcement.

  
  

• It reconnects you to your joy.

  
  

• It rewires your brain to associate writing with fulfillment.

Don’t wait for the big book deal or bestseller list. Make space to acknowledge the courage it takes to write today.

You are worthy of celebration.

Final Word: Keep Moving, Keep Celebrating

Momentum is sacred. It’s the bridge between talent and legacy. And one of the surest ways to protect your momentum is to make time for gratitude and celebration.

You won’t always feel inspired. You won’t always write fast. But if you keep showing up and celebrate your efforts, you will finish.

Celebrate every word. Build on every breakthrough. Let momentum be your ministry.

Until next Tuesday—keep going and celebrate what you’ve already done.

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