Friday, May 05, 2006

Just Do It

Motivation.

Touchy subject amongst us writers (or is that we writers? I get that one confused) as we each have our own methods of getting motivated to write. Some procrastinate to the point where they have no choice but to sit down and write. Some dive right in (hate those bastards). Some of us don't get motivated at all and just sit there and dream about having written or deluding ourselves that we will write -- once we get motivated.

Well guess what?

Scientists and anthropologists and behavioural psychologists have figured out something...

You don't get motivated until you do something. The doing something part comes first, then the motivation part kicks in to get you to the finish line. You don't start feeling good until you get into motion and put effort into it (hmmm...that sounds rather naughty. Cool!) . If you wake up in the morning all ready to go - that's because your brain has been working all night long and is eager to get it on the page.

So just do something will you?

It doesn't have to be perfect or great or whatever word is in vogue with screenplay writers these days. You aren't going to have a final draft spew forth fully formed from your muse (and exactly what part of the anatomy is the muse anyway? If things spew forth from it then we need some tissues). What you are going to have is a raw bit of business that is going to take effort to shape into something worthwhile. But of course, that effort leads to motivation, which leads to....

You get what I'm going for here.

Consider this your writer's kick in the...pants.

Have a good weekend.

3 comments:

Beth Ciotta said...

Very timely post for me. Considering myself kicked. Off to write...

MaryAn Batchellor said...

You can't learn to jump-rope by staring at the rope.

Curt Purcell said...

A kick in the pants I needed. Thanks Bill!