Find the Hidden Motivation for Success

The kids and husband are gone for the day. The quiet of the house should stir my muse so that the words flow out of control. It does not take long for me to suspect that my muse stowed away in the car when the family left. The worst part comes with the realization that I have no desire to find her.

Discovering the absent muse causes frustration in most writers. Recognizing the lack of motivation to do anything about the missing muse can push said writer off the deep end. This pushes past the dreaded writer’s block. The poor writer gets left caught up in the starts block.

I sat there in that starters block and stared out the window. It was a beautiful day, filled will all the elements of inspiration that any writer could dare to hope for in a day. But I was stuck.

Motivation and desire do not always walk hand in hand. Sometimes I am forced to drag one of them along until that one gets with the rest of the program. There will ALWAYS (and I do mean always) be a reason to NOT do it. The key to success lies in the will to make a choice for action.

Writing Despite the Lack of Desire

• Talk to a writing friend – online, on the phone or in person. Other writers have the way of giving you the motivation to write something even when you have no desire to do the writing that you know you need to do.

• Look for a deadline – something in your pile of things that need to be done has to have a deadline. Fill out a job query, create something for a contest or finish a project that needs to be done. Time can be a great motivation technique.

• Make a note of it – send out a note to a friend that you have been meaning to write. Once the words start flowing they can be the motivation that is needed to get other words to join in the fun.

• Give your opinion – comment on other blogs or forum threads. The words start to move and spark other words. Often, these short little comments fire up the motivation for full articles or maybe even a series of articles. Other times, the motivation is just an ember but still pushes you to get the writing done.

Writing as a career eliminates the equation of desire. Writing HAS to be done, for the freelance writer it is the content or articles and for the book/fiction writer it is the next manuscript. The work is the words. Writing is a job and some days it may even feel that way.

When the desire to write fades into the distance then it is time to dig up some motivation that can push you on to write what you need to get done. Waiting for the muse to show up may mean waiting until you find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Neither is the practical way of developing that successful freelance writing career that you crave. Take action now and find that hidden motivation to drive you forward.