Perhaps it has something to do with NaNoWriMo, but when I checked my usual round of writing blogs this morning, THREE of them had articles up about motivation.  I had bookmarked PCW’s for later sharing, but since the other two were also about motivation it seemed to me that the universe was screaming at me to share them.

And, since I finally got off my butt and went for a hike yesterday, it seemed pretty fitting to share now.  (Note, I didn’t say I wrote anything, but hiking for me is thinking time, so it’s a step in the right direction.)

So, here we go:

Patricia C. Wrede on Motivation:

“Motivation, in other words, is not always a positive, happy, upbeat thing that makes you like the work. Motivation isn’t about liking. It’s about doing.”

“Basically, you have to figure out what works to get you to sit down and put words on the page, and then arrange to get it. And you have to be honest with yourself. You may like reading great books, but if you end up spending all your writing time head down in Jane Austen, it isn’t really getting you to write, now, is it?”

Rachelle Gardner on 9 Reasons to Quit Writing:

She lists nine reasons for when you should consider quitting writing.  (Just like the title…)  My favorite:

“You expect the publication journey to be anything other than the hardest job you’ve ever done. (The ups and downs alone can drive you crazy.)”

Books & Such on What motivates you?:

“I find that remembering why I set out to do my job in the first place can really help me to stay motivated on those days that I feel less-than-eager to work.”

So, there you have it.  Different perspectives on keeping motivated (or realizing when to quit.)  Also, PCW’s post includes a lot of different ideas on what to do to keep motivated, so read it.