Tuesday, April 13, 2010

What keeps you motivated?

One thing I've had to learn over the last couple of years of highs and lows (an agent requested the full! Squeee!!... The agent "loved it but not enough" and rejected the full. Major frowny face...), is how to push through the lows. I've had to figure out how to keep motivated to write, to keep going forward, no matter what kind of day I've had.

Everyone has different ways to cope with roadblocks, or rejections, or whatever else may get you down. Is it going back and rereading the email from your friend/hubby/crit partner who loved your writing and gushed about it for three paragraphs? Do you turn on your favorite song and belt it out at the top of your lungs? I'd love to hear your ideas.

For me, different things work on different days. Over on Elana Johnson's blog, she asked what makes you giddy, and it got me thinking about one thing that works pretty well for me. I love singing -- particularly in my car. I love turning up an amazing song and belting it out. (I can pretend my voice is as good as the person I'm singing with that way!) One song that seems to help me feel better is from WICKED called Defying Gravity. (Oh, how I love that musical!) Sometimes, it feels like hitting some of my goals is about as difficult as defying gravity. I love powerful music, and I think that is a gorgeous song, especially when I'm needing a boost. "They'll never keep me down!" Try it sometime.

Or for the sake of my children's ears (and those of the driver's around me), maybe you should tell me what your ideas are. :-)

5 comments:

Kayeleen Hamblin said...

I love the music from Wicked! It really does have inspiration in it. I'm a particular fan of "Defying Gravity" and "For Good."

For me, getting time away from the kids keeps me going. Writing is almost always secondary to being a mommy, so any time away from that really recharges my writing.

Shari said...

Hearing from my writer friends motivates me, especially when they ask about my current WIP. So, thanks to you, Sara, for asking!

Elana Johnson said...

Ah, this is the hardest thing about writing. Life, too, but that's another post. For me, it's about putting things back on the tree. I'm sure that makes no sense. But I work outside the home. And I don't want to be snappy at my family or upset when I get home, because they don't deserve that just because I had a bad day at work. So in my car on the way to pick up the kids, I put all my work problems back on the tree.

And I don't focus on them at home.

As for writing, I put all my rejection problems in my email inbox. And I don't focus on them while I'm writing in Word.

It works -- most of the time. The times it doesn't? I buy cookies an watch Glee. Ha ha! :)

Carolyn V. said...

Believe it or not, chocolate works for me (just a little though, or I'm the treadmill's friend for extra minutes!). =)

Sara B. Larson said...

Kayeleen - I love it too! (As you can tell) That is so true, a break away from the kids to write can really make a difference. Time to just focus 100% is so precious!

Shari - Well, I will keep asking then! How's that WIP going?? :-) Can't wait to read more someday!

Elana - That does make sense, and it's very good advice. I like the idea of giving up every once in a while and eating some cookies and watching a great show. I should try that...

Carolyn - I do believe it! ;-) I also know what you mean about the treadmill though. I've been doing too much chocolate and not enough "treadmill-ing" recently.