If there is a single tool that you, as a writer, want to keep forever, what would it be? Would it be your voice? Talent? Guts? Imagination? Divergent thinking?
Although these tools are highly important for any successful writer, there is one that you should value the most – motivation.
Without motivation, nothing else matters. You could have the most charming voice, you could be a natural storyteller who doesn’t need any outlining and preparation, you could be the most imaginative person in the world and your divergent thinking could bring the most amazing solutions for story problems but if you are not motivated enough to actually sit down and do the work, it’s all wasted.
Motivation is something that needs to be cherished like the Little Prince cherished his rose. If you are like the Little Prince and you’ve abandoned your motivation, go back to her now. Find out what are the things that keep her alive and repeat them from day to day. Try to find some other things that will make her stay awake for a long time. Remember, motivation doesn’t come from book sales, reviews, or any other external sources, she should come from within.
George R. R. Martin once said:
Ask yourself, what if no one ever bought any of my work? What if I never going to sell a book or publish a book or a short story?
Are you going to continue to write? And if the answer is yes, because I have to, then yeah, you are a writer.
That’s exactly what pure motivation is; she’s the force that is gluing your butt to the chair and forcing you to do the hard work despite the fact that chances for success are little.
If you don’t have the passion for writing, it is advisable to, at least, have a Plan B, if not to choose some other profession.