Motivation To Write

Do you have the motivation to write..?

Let’s talk about the motivation to write – or lack thereof!

Perhaps you are a writer yourself, and if you have read my previous posts, you know that I am an independent author with four published novels, and one well underway. I’m also fairly active on social media, and amongst it all I have two public Instagram accounts; one for my creative endeavours, @little.book.of.dreams, and another to promote my proof reading business, @claireshawproofreader. Go have a peek at them if you like, you’d be welcome there!

But why am I telling you this? It’s because on both of these accounts I am lucky enough to connect with some amazing, inspiring, hard-working artists and authors, and it’s the authors I want to turn the spotlight on today.

Why? Because time and again I see posts where these creatively minded people are frustrated by a sudden onset of writer’s block, or they are bemoaning a dire lack of motivation to write. Maybe you are one such writer, and you have wandered here for a little encouragement or comradery. Whatever the case, welcome!

But surely, I hear people cry, an author, a writer, must always be brimming over with stories, chock-full of ideas, just bursting with inspiration to share out in generous abundance! Isn’t that why we all started writing in the first place?

…Or not

How frustrating! The ideas are there, I’m willing to guarantee it, and the desire also is present, but somehow these essential attributes get smothered under the heavy weight of other concerns. Life is full of problems that act as distractions; bills need to be paid, work attended, families cared for, houses maintained. Sometimes the sheer volume of other issues drowns out the literary voice.

Problems from within that steal our motivation to write…

And let us not forget the way in which we sabotage ourselves.

Be honest with me now. Can you look me in the eye and claim that you have never in your life suffered from a strong attack of imposter syndrome? You know what I mean; it’s that invasive, insidious phenomena which takes shadowy form and looms over you whilst you’re trying to work, whispering sibilantly into your ear: ‘You’re no good, you’re only going to fail, why are you trying to trick everyone into believing that you can when you know that you can’t…’

Don’t listen!

How cruel it is, to hear those shattering words in our heads, yet I’m fairly certain we all have, to some degree or another. Even when our rational brain speaks quite clearly to us that we are capable, we are more than good at what we do, there is the dread spectre of imposter syndrome lurking around the next corner, waiting to suck the confidence out of us when we least expect it!

…And overcoming them

Allow me to ask you a question.

Would you speak to your best friend in the same hypercritical fashion as you may occasionally turn on yourself?

I’m sure the answer is a resounding NO! Especially if that friend is as skilled and capable at their work as you are at yours. It would be ludicrous. Yet there we are, doing it to ourselves at any given moment. So why not make a conscious decision to give yourself the same respect you would quite naturally offer to your friend?

Here’s another possibility. As a writer, have you ever fallen victim to the comparison snare? Do you ever read other people’s work and think, in despair and panic, ‘This is hopeless! I’ll never write like they do..! ‘ And your motivation to write evaporates like a mist from your mind and heart.

Well, you’re right. It’s true. You won’t ever write like them. You will write like yourself. And do you know what? That’s a really good thing.

How boring, how tedious it would be if we all wrote in the same style, and were inspired by the same vision! For instance, what if all books were romances? I dearly love a good, escapist romance; indeed, I write them myself, (check out my Amazon author page to find out more) but that doesn’t mean I don’t fancy a change of pace and scenery once in a while.

Or how about if every novel you picked up happened to be a crime thriller? How long before that became tiring? Isn’t variety, of subject, as well as of voice and style, a wonderful, beautiful thing?

Motivation to write

So give yourself the respect you deserve! Keep improving; by all means, keep learning. Be open to new ideas and techniques, and find inspiration in the books of others, but have faith in yourself and in your work. Are you the best writer to have ever walked the earth? You might well be, but chances are, probably not. I’m certainly not! But I do know, in spite of the occasional wobble of confidence, that I am good at what I do. I enjoy my own work, and you should too.

And that, I suppose, is my point.

Pleasure is a powerful motivator. And writing can be a very pleasurable activity. I am never happier than when I’m tapping merrily away on my keyboard, thesaurus close to hand! There is immense joy to be had in crafting those fictional worlds, in communing with characters who, until we make the time to put them down on paper, exist only in our minds.

Give them life! Let them breathe! Close your eyes and visualise the way they look, hear the sound of their voice, feel the touch of their hand. And, above all, enjoy their company. If you find delight in writing them, chances are good that other people will love them too.

Will you please everyone with your books? No, because, as discussed, we are all different, with varying tastes and enjoyments. But this is no reason for you to lose your motivation to write. You will find your audience, they are out there, waiting.

The bottom line

If you have spent endless hours crafting your story, building your world, and honing the depth and credibility of your characters, and have thoroughly enjoyed the time you have given them, then congratulations! You are doing something that you love. That, to me, is success.

Now you can work on publishing your book, if that is what you want to do. And why not? You’ve worked hard enough, so now it’s time for the reward! Get that manuscript all beautifully cleaned up and ready to submit to an agent. Or, if you’re keen on the idea of self publishing, read about that in a previous post here. Enjoy any additional success that comes your way. But most of all?

Love your book, appreciate your own hard work, and be proud of your accomplishments, because you are unique.