Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Writing Motivation

You will read over and over again, writers write because they have to. While this is for the largest percentage true, most writers expect to one day benefit financially from their efforts.

I do not like to write - I like to have written. ~Gloria Steinem

Writing is hard work. Where do you find motivation to continue pouring the words out again and again? Do you focus on the end result? Do you dream of one day receiving payment?

I write with publication as my goal. Money is grand, but it’s not the focus of my journey. Sharing my creations, my characters and their journeys, is my main objective.

But how can you stay motivated when you aren’t allowed to share because of rejection?

Consider the following:

• Each word, each sentence, you write brings you closer to honing your skills.
• Each story you complete is one more that will, one day, find its way into a reader’s hands.
• Writing is beneficial for the soul. Explore your characters, and you will see reflections of yourself within the text.
• Creation is our strongest talent. Everyone creates in their own way, yours is writing stories.
• You can find therapy within your writing. Are you prone to nightmares? Insert those monsters into your stories, and your dreams will turn more peaceful.

How do you stay motivated?

9 comments:

Aubrie said...

Great motivation, Cher!

Angie said...

Great post. Those are all important reasons to keep writing. I get discouraged and wonder if I'm just wasting time, but there's something inside of me that I just have to get out on paper. It's exciting and joyful for me to create.

Lynn Andrade said...

One of my biggest regrets is the paltry amount of my work that I showed my Dad, who was my biggest fan. He passed away a few years ago. When I write I like to picture him reading over my shoulder. So the more I get done, the more I can share with him.

Terry W. Ervin II said...

I am not one of those indiviuals who writes because I have to. I write because I want to. I have plenty of other things I could be doing, but I think I have interesting stories to tell and share. That's one a host of things that motivates me.

Anonymous said...

Thank you all for your comments and sharing some of your motivations.

E. Arroyo said...

Awesome post. I write because I like getting lost once in a while.

Anonymous said...

E. Arroyo, Thanks for commenting, glad you liked the post. A trip into the unknown is a wonderful motivation.

J. Steven Baugh said...

I recently found my inner discipline and was able to externalize it after losing sight of it for too many years, so this post was especially meaningful for me, thanks.

Anonymous said...

J. Steven Baugh, I glad you enjoyed the post. Congrats on your discovery.

 
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