The Best Novel Writing Motivators for Me

By: Ebonye Gussine Wilkins

While there are a ton of things that distract me from writing, there are a few things that I can always rely on to inspire me to write.

Sitcoms: Not only do these comedies make me laugh, they are written with a structure that I find helpful in writing my own stories. When I pay attention to how a joke unravels, and the building up of that joke, it gives me tons of ideas for my characters, plot, and flow. Even when I’ve seen an episode a dozen times, I see something new each time, so I learn something new each time.

Central California: The landscape is just inspiring. Every time I drive down there, I am reminded of Steinbeck’s works and it makes me want to write (or type!) until my fingers fall off.

Reading: Whether I am re-reading my favorites or discovering something new, I love the feeling I get when I fall deep into a story. It just encourages me to finish another novel, because one day it will be on a shelf with other books. Knowing that work will one day be that finished product motivates me when the hardest parts of writing occur.

Random Ideas: Sometimes, an idea will just pop into my head (on how to solve a character’s problem or on a new plot twist) and I just have to write it down. Sometimes this occurs at odd hours, so I end up forfeiting sleep in order to get it down. But nothing beats that aha! moment that you get when you have an idea of what to write.

What are your best motivators for writing? Are they static or fluid motivators?