What motivates you to write?

Weekly writing boost #11: Find your inspiration

Mindset, motivation and inspiration for novelists—with a dash of instruction about writing craft added in. Subscribe (free or paid) to get the fuel you need for your writing career.

Photo by Randalyn Hill on Unsplash

The inspiration for today’s post came from this newsletter by Simon K. Jones, wherein he asked readers to tell what motivated them. There are 44 comments so far and reading them is fascinating. Turns out what motivates people is far-ranging.

And it got me thinking about what motivates me. I’m motivated when I know where I’m going next in my draft, when I’m deep into my story and I can’t wait to get back to it and write more. I get unmotivated when I’m confused. Because I know this about myself, the process that pushes my writing forward is a combination of writing within the story itself, and pausing to review and tweak structure and character. And, when need be, do a little side writing. I’m also motivated by the thought of seeing my book in print. And the only way to make that happen is to go to the writing space and yes, write.

If you figure out what motivates you to write, then you can use that on the regular to get yourself to the page. Conversely, knowing what is un-motivating is helpful as well. And if there is one thing that working with writers for twenty years has taught me, it’s this: we are all looking for ways to get ourselves writing regularly.

So let’s parse it out and I’ll follow it with a boost of a writing exercise to help you nail it. Think about the last time you felt crazy motivated. Maybe it was/is:

—You were excited about your WIP and eager to get to it

—You had a deadline. Your agent or editor was waiting for your draft. Or your writing group or critique partner was meeting in a few days and you needed to submit.

—You want to quit your day job and crank out short romances.

—You’re certain this WIP is going to be a bestseller and you want to make a lot of money. (I’m serious here—whatever your motivation is, own it.)

—Your mother or aunt or best friend of whomever is in failing health and you really want her or him or them to see your novel out in the world before anything happens.

—You read motivational quotes like the ones in the images here and they fired you up

—You read a book—a novel or a book about writing.

—You talked with a friend about your story.

—You had a brilliant idea about your WIP.

—Somebody made a comment about “your little writing hobby” and you got mad and wanted to prove to them that you can make a go of this writing thing.

Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

As you can see, the motivations I thought up were all over the map. But that’s the funny thing about motivation—it can come from anywhere. The point of this exercise is to find something or things that will motivate you on the regular.

The boost

1. Think back to the most recent time you were writing regularly. (Hopefully that is right now!) What got you to the page? Refer to the list above for motivation. My examples might not be right on the money for you but maybe they’ll help you think of something related. This is worth taking some time to write about because uncovering your motivation will stand you in good stead for years to come.

2. Think back to the most recent time you were stuck. What was going on? Were you able to identify why? Was it something to do with the WIP (wrong viewpoint, wrong setting, out of place scene, etc.) or was it perhaps something external. Maybe somebody said something negative about your writing. Or something positive. If you have a fear of success those positive comments can shut you down, too.

3. Distill both of the above exercises into two lists: things that motivate you and things that de-motivate you. Save that list somewhere you’ll remember to refer to it often. Then, when you get stuck, look back on them for inspiration.

What motivates you to get thyself to the page? Please do share in the comments. And if anything is particularly un-motivating, add that, too.

I’m planning my first workshop for paid subscribers. It will be sometime in September after everyone has gotten back into their routines and the topic is going to be, wait for it: Plotting for Pantsers and Pantsing for Plotters. Several of my clients requested this and I cannot wait to dig in. When it comes to plotting and pantsing, most will convince you that never the twain shall meet. But I think each camp has much to offer the other and that often a middle road is the best. I’ll explain all in the workshop!

When you subscribe at the $8 a month level, you’ll get access to this class and others I’ll offer monthly going forward. Founding members get a one-on-one coaching session upon sign-up!

Also, I can help you with your writing and anything related to writing and getting words on the page. A couple of my clients have gone on hiatus so I have room for one more writer on my roster. This could take the form of ongoing book coaching, or a manuscript evaluation. If you’re interested, drop a comment. Or reply to this post if it comes into your inbox.

Happy last days of August!