Your Motivation for Writing

August 23, 2019 / Motivation and the Writing Life / 15 COMMENTS

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’ve posted a lot recently on writing for an audience and writing to genre conventions.  As I’ve posted, there’s been a little uneasiness on my end…because some writers don’t need to worry about these things.  There are writers out there that will only be unnecessarily strung-out by this advice.  These are also writers who might feel really stressed out by forums and blog posts focused on heavy marketing.

There are plenty of other reasons to write and there is nothing wrong with writing for your own enjoyment.  Some writers would rather their work and their names remain private.  Some writers would rather craft a story exactly as they want it and create their story world as they wish and not have to worry about anyone else. And there are, sure, writers who want to share their work.  I’ve mentioned before that I was foisting my writing on my parents’ unsuspecting dinner guests back when I was in elementary school.  We’re all wired differently.

I think that it would be incredibly demotivating to read posts urging you to write faster, write to an audience, run ads, and promote when your only interest is in pleasing yourself with writing a story for your own satisfaction.

But I also wonder if some writers haven’t really completely thought through what they want.  If they truly want to put their work out there for a broad audience. Or, if they even want to publish their work at all. Maybe, after reading all the online commentary about the writing craft, reaching an audience, book cover design, and advertising, they just blindly start moving in that direction.

Of course, there’s no wrong answer.  No wrong direction to take.  But I do think it’s important to think about what you want.  When I saw this fairly comprehensive quiz on Colleen M. Story’s Writing and Wellness blog, I thought it was a great place to start. Not only may it help guide writers into thinking about motivation-related questions, but it can also help writers realize what does drive them.  Some of the listed motivations include achievement and recognition, creative fulfillment and transcendence, and connection and relationships.

Knowing what you want out of your writing means that you may not need to bury yourself in learning about crafting the best BookBub pitch or an amazing query letter.  It can help you stay focused on whatever is important to you about the writing craft.

As a writer, what motivates you to write (I think the answer is slightly different for everyone)?

The Importance of Knowing Your Motivation for Writing: Share on X

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  1. I don’t write for fame or recognition. Wrote for myself in the beginning and then once I began sharing, I also wrote wot keep my readers and fans happy, because their joy made me happy.

  2. I’m currently in an unmotivated place – writing wise. Back when I started writing, my motivation was to get published so other people could read my books and maybe I’d make a little money. (Okay, early on, I had hopes of making a lot of money, but I was naive then.) After I starting publishing my own books, my motivation was to write so I could have more books to publish, which morphed into writing several series. Now, I have no clue where to find my motivation. It’s around here somewhere, I’m sure. Maybe the answer is that I have to write whether I am motivated or not, so maybe the act of writing kicks my motivation into gear.

    1. I’m ordinarily uninspired and unmotivated when I write, and I think you’re right…when you push through it then you’re motivated to continue again the next day. Hope things get a little easier!

  3. My non-fiction is motivated by my wanting to help other writers achieve their goals. I think about how I wish I’d had this information when I was starting to write, and the words hit the page. Fiction is my joywriting. If others like it, too, that’s great, but I really write it for me. My focus for the next six months is outlining a novel, so I’m finding motivation in taking a James Scott Bell course through Great Courses and doing the exercises and trusting that a good story will turn up somewhere. I have smaller projects to work on, but the novel beckons. :)

  4. That’s why in the seminars I teach, the very first thing I have participants write down is their writing goals. What do they want to do with their writing? What do they want to achieve? Their answer will show them the path they want to take and what they need to implement along the way.

  5. I think it makes a lot of sense, Elizabeth, to think about why one writes. And, of course, as you say, we all write for different reasons and purposes. There are many paths in writing… As for me, I write because I have stories in me that won’t give me peace until I tell them. And, once I do tell them, I like sharing them with readers. It makes for a great conversation.

  6. This is a timely topic for me, having just finished the fifth book in my series. It’s a good time to assess what motivates me now, to see if anything has changed since writing the first book. I took the quiz on Colleen Story’s blog, and it was an eye-opener, enough to cause me to buy the book and go a little deeper. Thanks for sharing this, Elizabeth.

  7. Hi Elizabeth – I’m still in the mode that I didn’t know I could write … even after 10 years of blogging – I’m delighted that commenters enjoy the posts and their continued encouragement – one day soon I hope I’ll get my act into gear.

    I always mull around things and have various options to revert to – if needed. I’m formulating my ideas … but life has its other challenges and I go with the flow … the positive I get from blogging is my plus point … and the sound advice that I know is here and from mutual bloggers …

    Thanks for all you do – cheers Hilary

      1. Thanks … it was and still is … but through WEP and the odd other post I’m trying to broaden my horizons … appreciate your support – cheers Hilary

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