My Intenral Motivator

The question I am asked the most after people learn that I have written a book is “What makes you write?” Many times I stare at them, blankly, and wonder how to describe what it is that makes me write.

I don’t have a muse hanging over my shoulder with a knife to my throat telling me I must write, even though, sometimes that is what it feels like, in order to get all of my thoughts typed out. At times my fingers cannot type fast enough for my muse, which prods me to attempt to go faster, and just keep writing. It is almost like a runner’s high. (Writer's high, maybe?) You work and work and work, and then everything comes together, and BAM! The first book is done, and BAM! The second book is done, and it just keeps happening. For me, it is one of my favorite feelings.

The drive just continues to build, and what starts out as an outline has become 90,000 words of a story, how cool is that?

Every day I sit down to write, and when I’m done, at the top of my rough draft, I put the date, and what my word count is. Then for my reward, I figure out how many words I was able to get out. But the best part is when I look back over several weeks, and see how many words have been added to the story.

So for me, building on to my story, and counting my words motivates me to do more, and see how many more words I can push out. I enjoy competing against myself, and improving day by day, and week by week, and in no time, a story is born, or continued, depending on which book is being written.

So I guess the simple answer to what motivates me to write? The only answer I can come up with is personal satisfaction.