Oct 26 2008
why do YOU write?
"Why?" may be the most revealing question we can possibly ask.
I’m starting a new coaching relationship with an author, and in the first lesson I’m writing for him, I’m tackling the issue of motivation. We don’t care about characters who don’t care about anything; so when you write about a character, you have to know–and show us–what drives him. Why does he do what he does? When obstacles come up, why does he bother to overcome?
At the same time, for the last several mornings I’ve been dumping a lot of thoughts about conviction down on paper. It started out as an essay on legalism and morphed; I’m hoping to base a series of articles about the role of conviction in our lives on it. But it’s got me thinking about motivation again, because living by conviction means knowing WHY we do certain things, don’t do other things, and ultimately care.
I’ve heard this question asked of writers before, and it’s one I have to ask myself: why do I write? What is my motivation? When obstacles come up, when my work is rejected, when I don’t make enough money at it, why do I keep writing?
How about you? Why do YOU write?
And if you don’t, but would like to someday, why? What motivation is burning in you that wants to translate into words on paper?