Having the drive and motivation to write.

On request, I began a local writers Facebook group. My writer friends typically see me as someone who is highly motivated and driven to write and within the group, I was asked to share my thoughts on drive and motivation. I thought this would be a good blog post, too, for those writers who are following along.

"I promised a post about drive and motivation so here it is. I don't want to write today. Hell, most days I don't want to write. I love to write, yes, but as you know, writing takes time and effort and forgive the language, but sometimes I have too much sh!t going on in my life to give a flying flip about something that might or might not help me succeed on this path. I struggled with my math today to the point where I had to walk away from it. It brought me down in a big way because I'm trying very hard to get ahead in school. In the next half hour, two very rambunctious boys will bounce through the front door and proceed to argue with each other until bedtime. My husband will be home soon, too, which means I need to have the laundry put up and start cooking supper. I'm also having to work too many hours at my job because we are short a person. I sometimes feel really overwhelmed with it all. I love my family and my life in a big way so that isn't the problem. The problem is that it would be so easy for me to put writing on the back burner. But I love writing, though it is hard work, and if I go too long without it, I get this itchy feeling all over, almost like withdrawals. Those stories keep flopping around inside my head without release. So what I have to do is just sit down and write, whether I feel like it's the right time depending on my mood, whether I feel like I have time or not. I find a time that is best for me, most of the time after the kids go to bed, and I sit down and write. It doesn't matter if it is any good, just that I get it down. If I have a work-in-progress, I force myself to continue it, even if I'm not quite feeling it yet. If I don't have a work in progress, I start something new. Usually once I get started, I can get going pretty good on it and the longer I write, the easier it becomes... provided the significant other understands not to bother me during that time. So tonight, I will write. Life isn't going to stop, the hardships and crappy days aren't going to stop, but if you care about writing and want to write, you need to sit down and do it. Almost every day. The more you do it, the easier it will be to do it and the better you will get at it. So I want to challenge everyone to get some words down today. Start a new story if you don't have one started already, or pick up something you've wanted to finish and work on it. I desperately don't want to write today, either, but I'm going to."

I don't think I could've said it any better than that. It just tumbled out of me. I'm at a point right now where it would be so easy not to write but I did manage to get something down the day I posted this challenge (and each day thereafter). I'm not sure about how good it was, but I got it down, nonetheless.

If writing is that important to you, you'll find a way to get it done. Even when you don't really feel like it.

Peace, love, and get to it,

Pamela