Discover Your True Motivation for Writing

What is your true motivation for writing?

That thing that gets you out of bed to write early in the morning or keeps you going late at night to get that next chapter done?

What picks you up off the floor after a devastating rejection or bad review?

You may have some vague notion, but that’s not good enough.

You need to know exactly why you’re doing what you’re doing, as that’s the only way you’ll arrive at a career that’s truly fulfilling for you.

Find Out What Motivates You Most

Considering where you are right now in your career, answer the following questions. If more than one answer appeals to you, choose the one that resembles how you feel or act most of the time.

Why are you going after the main goal you’re chasing?

  1. I’ve seen bestselling writers do it and succeed, so I’m trying to do it.
  2. A high school or college teacher, or other writing mentor I admired told me to.
  3. I want my own creative career and I think this is the way to get it.
  4. I believe if I achieve this goal, I’ll feel a sense of peace and accomplishment.
  5. I’m responding to wrongs I’ve seen in the world that I want to make right.

When you get a rejection or experience another setback, how do you decide what to do next?

  1. I read blogs/articles/books from writing experts and follow their directions.
  2. I do what my writer’s group suggests or what my writing friends think I should do.
  3. I think about it, decide what I want to do, and do that, no matter what other people say.
  4. I meditate or find another way to center myself, then let my intuition guide me.
  5. I imagine what I can do to make my project more impressive to others.

When you think about your future as a writer, what do you think about?

  1. Bestseller lists, contest wins, and book signings.
  2. Doing something my family and loved ones will be proud of.
  3. Making my mark in my own way and attaining more creative freedom.
  4. Finding creative fulfillment in my life.
  5. Using my work to change the way people think.

What do you take away from a writer’s conference or workshop?

  1. I try to do exactly what the experts at the conference said to do.
  2. I stay connected with my new writer friends and regularly check in with how they’re doing.
  3. I try to put into practice what I learned, but I usually end up doing things my way.
  4. I use the information that I sense in my gut will work for me, and discard the rest.
  5. I find a way to share what I’ve learned—with a writing group, social media group, or other.

So far in your writing career, what has impacted you the most?

  1. Seeing my byline in a journal or magazine, placing in a contest, or having my book published.
  2. Having my family and friends congratulate me on a writing achievement.
  3. Being able to do things the way I want to do them.
  4. Feeling like my work had meaning beyond just writing a story.
  5. Helping others to better understand issues that matter to me.

Discover Your True Motivation for Writing!

Now tally your results. How many: As_____ Bs_____ Cs_____ Ds_____ Es_____?

Which letter has the highest number of answers? Write that down, then check below to see what your results mean.

Mostly As: You have a deep personal need to accomplish your goals, and are looking to reach your “personal best.” You are motivated by achievement and recognition.

Mostly Bs: You want to share and connect with others through what you’re doing. You are motivated by connection and relationships.

Mostly Cs: You like being in control of your career and deciding for yourself what projects you will work on. You are motivated by independence and freedom.

Mostly Ds: You rely on your intuition to guide you, and you make decisions based on what you feel in your gut. You are motivated by creative fulfillment and transcendence.

Mostly Es: You seek to change human behavior through your words and to make the world a better place. You are motivated by influence and power.

Chasing the Wrong Motivation

This is a simple, short quiz, so the results may not be entirely accurate for you. (Find the complete test and a more thorough examination of motivation in Writer Get Noticed!)

It does give you a glimpse into what may be driving you, though, which is important for you to know.

Motivation is the key to everything. In a 2013 study, researchers found that intrinsic motivation was more important than IQ when it came to academic success.

A later study showed that successful graduates typically had a strong motivation and drive to succeed.

Where writers can go wrong is in thinking they’re motivated by one thing when they’re actually motivated by another.

Do You Know Your True Motivation for Writing?

My friend Jamie, for example, believed self-publishing was her path to success. She worked hard getting her first book professionally edited, designed, and released under her own publishing imprint.

She was thrilled at first, but after a few months she became discouraged because no one was contacting her to talk about her book.

Turns out she was motivated more by connection than she was by independence or freedom. When self-publishing didn’t bring her fulfillment, she thought she’d either done something wrong or her writing wasn’t good enough.

If Jamie had understood her true motivations, she might have put more time and energy into creating a vibrant blog or posting on social media where she could attract more readers and interact with them.

That by itself would have contributed to her fulfillment, and establishing a group of friends and fans first would have also increased her odds of making connections that would have helped her get the word out about her self-published book.

Embrace Your True Motivation for Writing

Whatever motivates you, embrace it. Maybe you’re ashamed to admit what you really want to do is influence people.

Maybe your friends or your siblings have told you to keep your advice to yourself, so you hesitate to follow your natural inclinations when it comes to your writing and platform activities.

If this is your motivation, though, and you decide to use it to your advantage, you could be of great service to a lot of individuals.

Look at all the other writers who do influence others and thoroughly enjoy it. Check out heavily quoted, influential blogs and books and if that excites you, that’s the direction you need to go, no matter what little brother or sister says.

What motivates you? The more you can zero in on that, the more you can create and follow directions that will bring you closer to your goal, rather than going down some other road you shouldn’t be following.

What motivates you to keep writing? Get your free chapter of Writer Get Noticed!,
or order your copy today.


Sources

Martin, K., Galentino, R., & Townsend, L. (2014). Community College Student Success. Community College Review, 42(3), 221-241. doi:10.1177/0091552114528972

Student success linked to motivation, study suggests. (2013, May 1). Retrieved from https://dailyfreepress.com/blog/2013/05/01/student-success-linked-to-motivation-study-suggests/