Lately I’ve been trying to find my motivation. It might be under the couch; write an average of 5 releases a year for 5 years and vacuuming falls to the bottom of the To Do list, so it’s possible dust bunnies obscure it. But from research on the subject, I discovered something really interesting; motivation for physical work can be provided with physical rewards. But when the tasks require cognitive skill (and believe me, even writing a bad book takes a boatload of cognitive skill), rewards fail.
It turns out that what motivates people to flex their mental muscles takes a combination of three things; autonomy, mastery, and meaning.
Autonomy is sometimes hard to come by in publishing. Sometimes it feels like writing by committee. This varies significantly depending on contract terms and agent involvement, but I know from experience that knocks to my autonomy send my motivation scuttling to some unlit corner.
Next comes mastery. That’s a good one for writers because it takes a very long time to master all the elements of fiction plus the mechanics of writing. It can take a lifetime, but not if you continue to do the same thing. And then a writer can find themselves choosing between writing the next book the-same-but-different to satisfy readers’ and publishers’ expectations, or doing something different that might fail horribly but will provide the writer with a chance to master some new aspect of the craft.
Last and most baffling comes the drive to do something meaningful. What is meaningful? Just defining it can lead to headaches. But the work has to serve some purpose beyond filling the hours from getting up to going to bed and getting a paycheck, or motivation quickly ebbs. I wrote a novella in two days to donate to charity because the cause had great meaning for me. Meaning can come from many places. Maybe the meaning comes from exploring a theme, resolving a question through story that you can’t answer yourself. But the work must have meaning or the desire to do it won’t remain constant.
Autonomy. Mastery. Meaning. Without these, there is no lasting motivation. The carrot and the stick will work to a point, but when they fail, look for ways to gain autonomy, mastery and meaning in the work. They’re the things that make the work worth doing, because mental skill costs us more. It has to give us more in return, or the price is simply too high.
Related posts:
Comment
Well said! Personally, I struggle mightily with mastery in regards to the technical side of writing, but have complete autonomy and all the meaning in the world to motivate me.
Two out of three ain’t enough in this case.
Your brother in love of the written word,
-Chris
Comment
Chris, I can relate. I did a fit of technical writing in iambic pentameter, after which I realized that my goal of “earn a living writing” needed some narrowing down.
Comment
5 releases a year for 5 years! Wow! Maybe what you need is a discovery vacation. Go somewhere that challenges your current limits (Okay…I digress, I try to find any reason to go on vacation) Maybe you could use one too
Comment
No, I think you’re right. I’m due for a sabbatical if not a vacation.
Comment
Charli, I read somewhere that the first half of our lives are consumed with reproductive concerns – finding a mate, having children, raising them – the second half with creating a legacy. I see what you’re asking yourself as a natural stage for someone who’s achieved by all accounts “success” and now asks herself “why?” A sabbatical and space are great for setting these priorities. Wishing you well and knowing you’ll succeed whatever you decide to do.
Comment
Jan, you nailed it, I’m concerned about what I leave behind. I’m grateful for the success I’ve had and what I’ve learned, but I believe I can contribute something more meaningful. Also, there’s no mastery in continuing to do what I’ve done. I don’t want to write been there/done that books, and I don’t want to deliver that kind of product to readers, who deserve the best we can give.
Comment
“the work has to serve some purpose beyond filling the hours from getting up to going to bed and getting a paycheck, or motivation quickly ebbs”
I have to say this is so true. I started writing because I wanted an alternative to bartending. Something, some way for me to have more control over my income than the tips people leave on the table…and it worked for a while.
I was determined to write/sell and build a career. and I did…but now I’m really struggling with both my desire to write, and my writing when I do sit at the computer. It’s a process, but with good friends and good advice like what you’ve put above, I’m sure I’ll get through it all and come out on top. Thank you for the post.
Comment
Sasha, you’re welcome. In the beginning, the motivation you had was enough. Problem is, the bar keeps moving. There’s a great book, Seven Steps on the Writer’s Path, that has great exercises for finding your direction.