Blogger: Rachel Kent
We’ve talked before about setting goals as a motivation tool, but I am curious to find out this week what your biggest motivator is. What pushes you to write or work when you don’t feel like it? We all wish that the joy of producing or accomplishing something would be enough of a motivation, but often it is not.
Here are some motivators that come to mind that could be what helps you to be most productive:
1) Family. Does a need to support your family push you most?
2) Money. Do you work harder because you want to make more money? Does the dream of great riches and a possible placement on the NY Times Bestseller list keep you going?
3) Guilt. Do you work harder to avoid feeling guilty about taking time for yourself?
Or is there something else that motivates you?
I’d say for me, my main motivator to keep working when I would like to procrastinate is guilt. I don’t like it when I’m keeping people waiting for a response from me and I hate feeling behind. I also want to make money to support my family, but I don’t dream of vast riches much if at all. God does seem to supply what I need when I need it. I wish my motivator wasn’t guilt, but I don’t know how to change it. I guess if I was caught up with my work all the time I wouldn’t feel guilty, but I think that’s impossible.
My second question is what motivates you to write in the first place? Do you just love writing? Do you have a desire to instruct others? Are you trying to save others from making a mistake that you made? I find that remembering why I set out to do my job in the first place can really help me to stay motivated on those days that I feel less-than-eager to work.
In my case, I chose to be an agent because I love reading, but also because I love helping authors and publishers to get good books with a good message into the hands of the readers. I think as Christians we are supposed to tell others about what Jesus has done for us and to encourage each other. I’m not much of a public speaker and I don’t feel very comfortable “witnessing” to someone one-on-one, but I can reach people with hope through my work as an agent. If I find a book with a good message and help to get it published, I am sharing hope through the writing that I believe in.
That’s an insider’s view of why I do what I do. Now what about you?
And Happy Halloween! What are you (or your kids) dressing up as today? We have a teddy bear and a ballerina costume for our daughter. I’m going to dress up as a mom.
Writing and I just coexist. I think it’s kept me alive sometimes. I write to offer encouragement and hope. I write that those who feel broken can find renewal in the love of God.
Rachel thank you for sharing why you are an agent. You bring much compassion into what you do.
I bet your daughter will be adorable! My daughter will be pop star, and my son The Hulk complete with extra muscles!
I love that! That you and writing coexist. 🙂 Great way to put it.
Rachel, I think right now, my motivation comes from a desire to complete my first book. I hope the message in it will be one that encourages the people who may one day read the story I’ve written.
Great motivation! Are you going to participate in National Novel Writing Month starting tomorrow? 🙂
I participated last year and wrote 60K on my book. After re-writing the same story earlier this year, I want to walk through the entire process of seeing a book go from idea to query (and hopefully to published one day!), so I’m focusing on revising. My goal is to be done by Jan 1, 2013. I’ll do my own personal “NaNo” probably early next year. 🙂
I love these questions.
When I don’t feel like writing I’m always amazed how reading a great line or scene will light a fire under me. One of my biggest motivators on my off days is sitting down with a good book. It usually only takes a matter of minutes before I’m putting the book down and heading to my computer.
What motivates me to write in the first place? The desire to stir thoughts in women, to churn conversations about topics we care about most, and to inspire a greater sense of empathy.
wonderful motivations! Thanks for sharing.
I write because it’s how I feel best equipped to share my faith. I keep writing in hopes someone will say they like it.
Yup, praise junkie, here. Just tell me my dialogue is convincing or that I’ve done a beautiful job of setting the scene and I’ll write for a month!
Praise junkie. Yup, I understand that one. 🙂
Oh, thank goodness. Maybe we can make a pact to praise each other if we’re ever in withdrawl!
Let’s do it, Sarah!
I’m with you, Sarah. Maybe we should start a praise junkie support group. 🙂
Sign me up for the praise junkie not-so-anonymous group!
I write because otherwise all the time I spend talking to myself would be a sign I’m going crazy. This way, sometimes I even get paid!
My son is Mario (we saw Luigi tonight! How fun!) and my little girl is wearing the Lalaloopsy dress she got for her birthday in July. It’s so poufy! She’s two and just caught on to this whole trick or treat deal – and learned the word “chocolate.”
I get so nervous that someone will criticize my writing that I hardly want to put it out there for others to read–and I’m only writing blogs! lol!
He-he, Rachel. 🙂
The people in my critique group motivate me to keep working hard. You couldn’t ask for better support, encouragement, and feedback. When a lady, who hadn’t read or heard anything of my story for almost a year, asked how one of my characters was doing like she was asking about a friend, I knew I had to keep keep writing.
My faith, my characters, and the pure exhilaration I get out of writing are what motivates me in the first place.
And, of course, money is a bit of a motivator, though my only goal on that end is to get my school loans paid off before I retire. 🙂
What a great story! I love how that lady remembered and asked you about your book. 🙂
Great question, Rachel. Makes me think, so thanks.
While getting paid to write is a bonus, the amounts are so small (for me) it really isn’t much motivation. Hopefully that will change over time… I sure wouldn’t complain.
I am motivated, like you others above, by a sense of mission: telling the story of Jesus wherever I can. I believe my books can reach a wider audience than my spoken words. In that sense, I feel “called” to write. I fear that truth is being lost in the land, and I feel an urgency to speak biblical truth into our generation.
I am also motivated by a love of words, sentences, and language. Weird, I know; don’t judge me. 🙂 When a sentence/paragraph/chapter/book comes together with truth, power, and beauty, it’s a great feeling.
Also, teaching Scripture makes me happy, especially when I can open a reader’s eyes to truths both profound and beautiful. I love seeing [or hearing when] the lights come on for people. It’s a great privilege to study and teach God’s Word (I am a pastor).
PS: For Halloween, my daughter (11) will be the world’s most beautiful MUMMY, and my son will be the world’s coolest GRIM REAPER.
I love reading beautiful writing! 🙂
When I was a little girl, while most of my friends would be playing at recess, I was content to sit under a shade tree with a pencil and pad. I use to fantasize about Dick, Jane, and Sally traveling to somewhere other than their cousin’s farm, and I’d create those worlds on paper. I thought I was pretty brilliant for a seven-year-old. 🙂
I love working with words and telling stories. And I adore writing, certainly, but I think what drives me to succeed is that I’m not a quitter. I’ll do the hard work necessary to accomplish my goals.
Don’t you just love dressing up as a mom, Rachel? Truly, one of God’s highest callings…
Sounds like you were a brilliant seven-year-old!
And yes, the mommy costume fits really well. I think I’ll wear it for the rest of my life. 🙂
Love this and your honesty, Rachel!
What motivates me to work when I don’t want to? I don’t know…I think I’m just one of those crazy self-motivated people. If I make a goal for myself, I’m gonna reach it, darn it…sometimes to the detriment of other parts of my life. I need a little more balance. But usually I’ll reward myself for reaching my writing goal for the day…a nice bath while reading a good book, a dessert (bad, I know), that sort of thing.
And why do I write? Because I’ve been called to. And because I want God to be known and glorified.
I wish my motivation could be more like yours! I need to work on being more self-motivated.
When I have a story burning and I know it’ll work, the feeling of urgency to get that message of hope on the screen and ultimately out to readers motivates and pushes me to write.
I guess that answered both questions. 🙂
My daughter (14 next Monday) is going as a crayon because she says she’s colorful. My son is going as Iron Man. I’m going as a Pink Lady which really just consists of pink hair dye, but it’s all I got.
great motivation! And LOL! I love the pink lady idea.
I write because….
God gives people talent so they can glorify Him.
God’s ways are beautiful and deserve to be glorified in all forms of art, including fiction.
There are too many books in the world that glorify sin and the occult and too few that glorify God and His ways.
There’s a population of young people out there who are desperately searching for high-quality Christian literature, and I hope that, with God’s help, I might in some small way contribute to that.
And, of course, I could use the money. 🙂
Thanks for your transparent blog posts, Rachel. I’m going to do my best to earn your representation one day. 🙂
I’m flattered. Thank YOU!
And I so agree. There are way too many books out there that glorify worldly, sinful things. We need more books with hope in them!
What pushes me to write when I don’t feel like it is apparently a work ethic inherited from my parents. You just do what you have to do.
What motivates me in the first place is all the characters in my head clamoring for their stories to be told. Writing seems the natural way for me to pursue that. I aim for publication because of the challenge.
You have great parents!
I love how your characters beg to have their stories told. 🙂 Great way to be motivated.
I love that you are witnessing through your work. We don’t have to “preach” to be a light. 🙂
I’ve had many different motivations over the years, but lately I’ve been driven by prayer. I pray for guidance, and I keep hearing to stay with it, to keep writing. Wish I could always say my motivation is God, but I’d be lying!!
I know, I wish I could always have the right motivation too. It’s hard sometimes!
What a great post, Rachel. Today I took the day off of writing–at least real writing–so I could finish a fan fiction story I’ve been eager to write. It’s silly, but I finished a large project I was working on and just needed some time to write something I enjoyed without it meaning so much. It’s something I do every time I finish a project, so that’s what motivates me to complete my work. I know I’ll reward myself with something fun afterwards.
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I can’t imagine not writing; though being an editor is something I equally enjoy.
Our girls are dressing up as an angel and one of the Monster High characters. My hubby takes them out so I can feed all the ghosts and goblins that ring our doorbell.
It seems like a lot of writers are motivated by the love of writing. That’s awesome!
And my favorite part of Halloween is handing out candy. I hope we have some kids come by tonight. It’s starting to rain. 🙁
I can understand the “guilt” motivator, Rachel. I share it as well.
I also feel that I must write. I must create something using words. I know it’s a desire God planted in me long before I was even born and I want to honor His calling on my life.
I hope through my writing journey that readers and fellow writers will not only learn more about history, writing and themselves but be more encouraged in their faith.
That’s what I hope to do on my blog too (www.pensonaworldmap.com). I focus on connecting travelers, writers and readers together to share travel and writing stories and support each other.
We’re all in this together and I love that connection, the fellowship in the Kingdom of God. 🙂
Oh yeah…and I forgot.
Our town did our trick o’ treating last night. I went around with my two-year-old niece. We were both dressed as Rapunzel from Disney’s Tangled.
It was fun. I even carried a frying pan. (lol) She did not like her wig at all but loved the crown. She kept saying “pretty, pretty.” 🙂
Yall have fun and be safe! I’m sure your little girl will look super cute!
I’m glad I’m not the only one motivated by guilt. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your blog link! I’ll have to check it out.
Nothing is sweeter than those moments when your brain is so into the manuscript you’re pecking out that you don’t care about eating, or dressing for work, or that telephone jangling in the background. When the creative compulsion comes over you… it’s magic.
But I don’t write for the closet or the desk drawer. The goal must always be for the eyes of others. The circle isn’t complete until someone reads your words and joins you in that other journey.
Great way to put it! Yes, the writer’s purpose is complete when a reader reads the writing.
Writing is such a great way to play.
And I am absolutely enthralled with words, sentences, and paragraphs when they fit together to make a character or an action scene come alive in your mind.
That gasp that comes when a moment of revelation comes in a story. Or you find yourself praying for a character, they’re so real.
When a story leaves me wanting to stand a little taller in my journey on earth, in my Christian walk.
All things that motivate me in my writing.
That’s what a love about reading too. The characters become friends and I become so invested in the journey.
As a non-pubbed writer, my motivation is the same as reading. I want to see how the story ends. Yes, I generally know before I get there, but there are usually surprises I don’t know til I get there. I write my blog articles as a means of maintaining a sense (for myself) that I can meet a deadline each week. Maybe there would be guilt if I didn’t do it, but I don’t lose money if I don’t. However, it’s my way of preparing for the future.
I have heard this before too, that the book can take on a life of its own even when you are the one creating the story. So interesting!
So many reasons, Rachel.
1. To create.
2. To escape from real world difficulties.
3. To be encouraging to others by sharing my difficulties. (Write what you know!)
4. To encourage reading of any kind.
5. To have a non-mommy activity.
6. To be affirmed / valued, even if just by one reader.
7. To be paid. Hey, even just $18 for a short story is still $18.
After college, completely ignorant of what I could do with writing skills and parents telling me I couldn’t make a living at it, I went to law school. Now, six children later, I’m back at writing (actually, back to it a couple years ago around the birth of the sixth) and can’t believe I lived without it for so long. Sure, I wrote in law school, but legal briefs? Give me a break. (See #1 above.)
And today? Three princesses, one dragon, one Woody, and one adorable horse who crawls around like a dog with his tongue hanging out. I’m going as the distracted writer-mom trying to think of any more details she might need to start NaNoWriMo tomorrow.
Great list! And I love your list of costumes too. 🙂
As a child writing was like breathing for me. My mother says that I wrote on anything I could find and she was right. I started a journal at eight years of age and began writing screenplays, stories, books and poetry. My first real publication was in seventh grade. During those years as an unbeliever my motivation was success and money. I got saved in my twenties and my motivation changed to write for His glory. I make sure in every book I write that the gospel is clearly outlined. I just finished writing my memoir and literally fileted my heart about my life in hopes that the reader will come to the crossroad of faith themselves. There’s nothing more exciting to me than being a part of someone getting saved and discipling them. I’m facinated with transformation and I want that for all; believers and unbeliever (in Christ of course). I’ve got to say that as a single woman I would spend hours in prayer and writing and that was a big reason I wrote; I never feel as close to God as I do when I write because I cling to Him and His Spirit for every word. Now that I’m married with two toddlers, I don’t get that time unless I’m up in the middle of the night – which happens.
Thanks for sharing! I love how your motivations have changed as you have.
I used to journal during my prayer/devotion time a lot, but I haven’t in a long time. Same reason as yours–life just got much busier. Hopefully I can get back to it someday.
I’m motivated to make people smile.
I want anyone reading my work to have fun.
Even when the last thing I feel like doing is write, I imagine the response from my readers and I’m like, yeah, I want to keep doing this.
I’ve got a 3-year old dragon, a 2-year old Cinderella and a 9-month baby bat. Game on.
Your motivation is great! Here’s a smile from me: 🙂
And I truly admire you. 3 kids in 3 years! I honestly think moms like you are superwomen. My ONE tiny ballerina is a lot of work.
Hi Rachel,
I’ve been writing for a long time. Poetry, devotions, book reviews, encouraging notes and then one day God challenged me to write fiction. I’ve been motivated by learning to improve my skills, a desire to finish my first novel and friends and family who encourage me along. I’ve wanted to quit many times, but someone or something comes along that convinces me to keep writing. And most of the time-it’s fun!
Writing turns out best when the writer is having fun writing it, I believe. Thanks for commenting!
Guilt? (*sheepish hand raise*)I think it stems from the 16 years of Catholic school – but yeah – guilt plays a part in my motivation. However, the bigger motivator is my husband’s faith in me. Each time I close the keyboard and cry Uncle – Hubby is right there, pushing me to the next chapter, giving me the break with the kiddos – I am one lucky gal!
Happy Halloween & good luck with the bear/ballerina!
It sounds like you are a very lucky gal! 🙂 Good job, Mr. Elliott!
I’m sorry you share my guilt motivation, Kathryn, but I’m glad I’m not the only one!
I just watched a documentary about actors who work part-time/full-time and only average about $5,000 of acting income per year. And I think that’s the way most writers have to look at their anticipated writing careers–low pay and extreme craftsmanship. I recently read a poet’s quote on writing that suggested you should only write when the desire is like a hole blown through your soul. (He said it much better than that.)
Sadly very true. Only a small percentage of writers can actually live off of what they make by writing.
Rachel, you ask some great questions. Thanks.
I write because if I didn’t, I feel I would die — or explode. Really. I have these ideas that must get out and onto paper.
The thing that motivates me to keep on writing is to see the completed piece. Some days are easier than others, but I push on because I want to see the finished product.
(For shorter pieces, such as articles and blog posts, a deadline or due date is usually what motivates me.)
What motivates me is that the story won’t leave me alone. Sure enough as soon as I’ve put it on the back burner, something will cause it to boil up inside me. I’ve come to realize that all my books deal with some aspect of grace and I think that is the core of my writing journey and most likely the thing God is continually trying to impart to me. Grace is fascinating to me and I can never seem to get enough
Oops! Accidentally hit post! Anyway, can’t get enough grace. Yep, that’s me!
Have a wonderful first Halloween with your little ballerina. Seems like mine was a preemie peanut just yesterday. Now he is a Minecraft Creeper, my youngest is a very dapper vampire, and I am a Steampunk vampire. And our long-suffering dog is an astronaut.
Thank you for your article, Rachel!
I’ve had several full-time writing jobs & deadlines kept me on track. But in working on my novels, I would write when I felt like it, plodding along & jumping from one project to another. My motivation depended on my mood in the moment.
But last summer I was named a finalist in a writing contest & given until the end of the year to finish my manuscript. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, but it turns out having a deadline is just as motivating when it comes to completing a novel!
Watching my pen swoosh across the page is a treat in and of itself. Having something to say that’s worth reading is the frosting.
Observing the world around me is a huge motivator to the unfolding of a story. People I know, mannerisms I see, memories I hold dear. All these things are in my stories.
Hi Rachel, I’ve been mulling over your post the last two days, considering my response. I would say that my number one motivator is my family. As a mother with two children not far from their college years, it would be nice to have an income to help out in that way. And having been raised by a mother who always worked, I have never gotten over my feeling of guilt that I haven’t been bringing home a paycheck since I’ve been a stay-at-home mom. I know! Just taking care of a family is worth much! But still…
I guess that does link to money too, the NY Times bestseller list would be … awesome!
Oh, and it seems that my first two points relate to guilt as well!
In the end though, I could probably work and earn a regular paycheck, but it does come down to a love of books my entire life, and a newly discovered love of writing, and the humbling feeling that Christ’s acceptance of myself and others is coming out in my writing.