Yesterday I had a good discussion with a friend about motivation. So many apps, books, and podcasts want to help us get moving in our lives. Something common to many of these programs is Your Big Goal (or words to that effect). That is, the real reason you’re going for a change, striving to accomplish something, etc. The Big Goal is often buried under layers of secondary motivators and social expectations. A person might set out to lose weight because they want to look good at the beach or please their partner. Until they can find and face The Big Goal—what does the weight-loss journey really mean to them—the program is at high risk of going off the rails.

The Writer’s Motivation

I’ve been hanging around writers as well as studying the craft for over fifteen years. I’ve heard a lot of aspiration: From mentoring kid readers to making lots of money, writers can usually give a reason for taking up the pen. But often they don’t stick with it. While writing is a pleasure for those so inclined, “author” is a ridiculous job. We work for pennies per hour. We fight tooth-and-nail for every reader in the hope of touching someone with a moment’s insight or entertainment. Without The Big Goal front-and-center on your brain or taped to your bathroom mirror, the persistence required will be elusive. 

I started this blog thread on the gritty details of the writing process over on my Facebook Author page, @kbkathylbrown. However, I decided to move it over here to the blog. If you’re interest in my writing process, see these posts on Facebook. You can subscribe to the blog from the website landing page (scroll down).