SAINTS AND SCIENCE FICTION
Somewhere in my memory I hear someone telling me: Experience is an uncompromising teacher. She first gives the test then slowly outlines the lesson(s) to be learned from them. When I shared that thought with one of my writing friends, he immediately agreed. “Of course! That is the reason I’m writing my young adult books—so maybe our precious youth can avoid some of the very hard lessons I’ve had to learn.” He then showed me his Motivation Diary. Now, I’ve started one for myself. But before I share a few bullet-points from that list, I’ll offer you the following brief paragraph about “the writer’s motivation.”
The word motivation is a noun. It is that something that provides the reason behind the act or actions that accomplishes a specific purpose. For the writer, it is the internal (and often uncontrollable, overwhelming) impulse that spurs us to create the next blog, magazine article, poem, novel or textbook. It is the incentive or inducement that arouses and sustains the continuation of a writing career.
My author friend has created quite an extensive list of motivation statements. Below are a few of his and a couple from other writers. He often uses quotes from other authors OR anything he reads or hears that inspires his writing goals.
- I write (and expose) errors I’ve made in decisions/choices SO THAT others can see the fault in them and AVOID them. (first entry)
- I write to let others know there is HELP and HOPE.
- I write to develop my own Faith in God—and show others that it is OK to have FAITH.
- When I get discouraged, I re-read what Saint Francis of Assisi said: “Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
- I must remember that many very famous writers were “rejected” by editors hundreds of times before their work was accepted. I must keep writing!
- Science Fiction author, C. J. Cherryh says: It is perfectly okay to write garbage—as long as you edit brilliantly. I will become a better self-editor every day!
- I LOVE to watch Star Trek movies! Their author (an inspiration) is Ray Bradbury, who tells writers to FIRST find out what your hero wants, then just follow him! That is what I hope my young adult readers find in my books—a hero worth following.
- Today I read quotes from two people I admire. General Omar Bradley (US Army WWII) said: Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. Abraham Maslow (the famous 1960s psychologist) said: The ultimate disease of our time is value-less-ness. This state is more crucially dangerous than ever before in history. I must continue writing to give readers examples of ethical maturity and the certainty that every human being is of great value.
AS YOU’VE read through these entries, were you starting your own Motivation Diary? I hope so! My friend and I talked extensively about how his (and my) motivations changed over the years as our writing skills improved. He feels that reminding himself of the specific reasons for developing his characters and various plots they must traverse KEEP HIM grounded. They also keep him focused on getting his work published—now, through self-publishing—and not waiting for one person in the haystack of publishing houses to accept his manuscripts. WRITE ON!
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ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward. |
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