Lofty ambitions, zero motivation

[fencerm2]

How do you reclaim motivation?

There are so many things I want to be doing...and my current motivation is zero.

What is up with that? There is nothing wrong with my life right now, per se...so why do I have no energy, no desire to move forward on those things I want in motion?

I mean, some writer I'm turning out to be...its been far longer than I'd care to admit since I wrote something new...and I have been stuck on my current round of edits of my novel in the same spot for about a month or more now. Why can't I move this onwards? Why am I not writing?

This is the kind of rant I usually don't share - this is the sort of thing that goes into the paper journal. But I think I am putting this here because I am wondering if this is just me...or if there is something in the air? Not that that matters, really...its up to me to do what I need to do.

Blah. That's where I am at. Just...blah.

Comments

[chrystie69.livejournal.com]

It's not just you. Creativity must be motivated. Motivation isn't always there :( I know what you are going through. I have a stack of writing, editing, and web development projects I should be working on but am just not motivated to work on right now.

[forsair.livejournal.com]

Not just you. My Thesis is stuck in similar limbo. While I have edits and the like for it back. . .I've skimmed them and then promptly decided to get distracted by other things.

I also have a PT technical writing gig for my security company. . .if I get off my hands and start moving, I can get paid for this. . .not moving on that yet either.

Excuses and procrastination are my motto this week. "Oh, well I need to get Cygwin running on my system again." "Oh well I need to clean my apartment" (true and I have no clue where to start on that.) "Oh well let me noodle around on WorldCat, yep what I need should be out there" but. . . I haven't ordered a thing from Inter Library Loan.

Though the rest of my life isn't blah, there is a fair amount of "how do I get this train moving again?" I've decided that life on all fronts will start moving again on Saturday. If I have to hijack 4 locomotives to do it.

Failing that, there is a demo on Sunday on campus that I must be at and will therefore have my butt solidly kicked into some sort of motion.

Sometimes I use LJ to report and/or confess to others where I'm at. Sometimes that expression is enough to break the block and/or keep me honest about getting some work done.

I'm not going to ask about your novel, though I think it is cool you are writing one. Sometimes, even giving a precis to someone lets the creative spark out of the project. The idea was expressed and though not in the glorious form envisioned, it is out there and the internal impetous for the glorious form is gone.

So, if possible, let it be a secret, and only reveal it when it is in final glorious form. Report on its progress if you like, but the content should not be let out of that metaphorical bottle.

Luck!

[katnboots.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on what usually motivates you. I don't write fiction anymore 'cause I want an immediate sense of interactivity that it rarely provides. I've written fan fiction for games and had quick responses from game audiences, and worked on story pieces for online roleplaying and the like. But the idea of sitting alone and typing a novel for months on end, with no idea bouncing with anyone else, and all work no play makes Jack a dull boy, is horrifying. In other words, interaction motivates me...

What motivates you?

not just you

[ldykatrina.livejournal.com]

but going for the short answer... I have been lacking in motivation too... I think its post pennsic blues though more than anything else. Each small thing I get done today I am pleased but I cant seem to stay focused on anything for any lengh of time.

Agreed

[oaken-glen.livejournal.com]

It seems as if a lot of people are lacking in motivation or drive this past week. But, I've got to second that I think a part of it is post Pennsic blues.

I can't seem to find any motivation to get much done around here. I'm not working on a novel or anything important like, but I'm finding that I just don't feel like doing anything at all. Despite the fact that I've got a list as long as my arm of shit that needs to get done.

I've got a couple of things in mind that may (or may not) jump start me. We'll see if it works.

Writing

[fencerm2.livejournal.com]

Lately, nothing seems to really motivate me.

My novel is done. Its been professionally edited - I am just making further alterations based on those edits now. Its sequel is done, too, thought that has yet to be edited. Book 3 in the same series is underway, though I've not touched it in a couple years, as I was editing the first. I am now on the step of needing to get an agent for to sell the novel (series, if possible). NOT an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.

I started writing fiction (sci-fi, fantasy) when I was 9. My first completed work was 50 pages and illustrated. I stopped writing for a few years after college - but picked up with the current series I've been working on since 1998.

I had an agent, for a time - but he sucked, and this really isn't his genre, so I let him go. Since then, the series and books got retitled, and I am again ready to get an agent. This, of course, is no easy task.

Now I just need to get motivated to submit to agents (part of getting motivated, in this case, is preparing for rejection - I believe in this, but I AM a realist). And of course, the current round of editing is still underway - I need to get to the next point and finish this thing again!

So that's where I am at. But reclaiming the motivation for this is not easy...

Re: Writing

[forsair.livejournal.com]

If I wrote fiction then I would personally find out who Joe Haldeman's or Jon(?) Ringo's agents are/were and run it by them. They are two of my favorite authors and if I wrote something other than manuals or technical papers I would want to write like them.

Can you tell I've got a few minutes between set ups today and am not doing work on my thesis? Not even pretending?

[weezeld.livejournal.com]

One of the ways to get your writing motivation back is to write something for yourself, and not because it has to get done for a editor.

I know you're writing on your blog, and that's good.. but maybe you can try a personal journal that no one reads but you. Put down a few thoughts and ideas and it. Maybe write a few paragraphs to another book.

Thing is, you don't want to get stuck in a rut. You're moving forward with one project, but that doesn't preclude you from working on another one. Maybe a different genre, maybe something that isn't going to be published commercially, but locally -- scaish??

Writing is like working out, the more you do it, the easier it is to do the next day...

FWIW, I don't write enough.. I used to... Well, on a good (bad?) note, I write more than I go to the gym... so at least there is some sort of accomplishment. :)

[fencerm2.livejournal.com]

Actually, I still occasionally keep a paper journal. In fact, it was because I keep that that I took so long to join the LJ Community. But I decided this was a nice way to keep in touch with friends, gain new insights into their lives, and yadayadayada. :-)