Motivation

I'm back, more or less, from my semi-extended blog hiatus! You missed me, yes?

I've had a major lack of motivation lately, with holidays, birthdays, and school getting in the way, but then I met my agent. For the first time, I was able to see her for dinner, along with three other clients, here in NYC and it was fantastic! She's a real, tangible person, not a figment of my writerly imagination. I can't even tell you how awesome it feels to know I have such an amazing person in my corner. Her confidence is truly contagious.

I suppose the point of me telling you this, is that you can do it. Whether you are still trying to craft the perfect story, or you already have an agent, a publishing contract, a physical book with your name on it, you are a writer. I forget who said it, but there is a quote floating around the web that says something like, "Writing isn't something you do. It's who you are." Nobody understands that like a writer.

I know how daunting rewriting and revising can be, but don't you feel better when you do it? No matter how many bags of twizzlers, cups of coffee, or bowls of ice cream that it takes to get it done, you've done it, and that's an amazing accomplishment. So pat yourself on the back, because you are a writer.

Internal versus External Motivation

No, I'm not talking about character arcs, which is an entire post in itself. I'm talking about your own motivations as a writer, be they external (e.g. editor deadlines) or internal (e.g. desire to hit the NYT Bestseller list). I've always responded really well to deadlines, whether self-imposed or other-imposed. I knew I needed to finish revising (okay, re-writing) the second half of my book for a writing retreat I'm attending this week. I finished yesterday with two days to spare, but as excited as I am about the retreat (my external deadline), that wasn't the only motivation behind my late nights this week. 

Last week, I mentioned my obsession with Shiny New Idea. I was so motivated to start it, but wouldn't let myself until I finished my "old" manuscript. Last night, I literally hit the "compile" button in Scrivener (coolest program EVER) for my old document, then opened up a new one and wrote the first chapter of SNI. The internal motivation to get my new idea on paper is what helped push me through the torture of a bazillionth revision (only a slight exaggeration) of my last ms. I get so geeked out over first drafts that I'm going to enjoy this time while it lasts...after all, I know that first revision is just around the corner.

What about you? Are you motivated more by external or internal factors?