The Undiscovered Country

To Thine ownself motivate

Even if it requires stooping to bribery.

My edits are going slower than I want. So, to motivate me I decided on a small bribe.

I need a new camera. Okay, I don't really need it. I want a new camera, one that can zoom out more than my little Fuji Finepix, has a higher MP (mega-pixel), and more automatic and manual features.

I can't buy it until I complete my edits, and it must be done prior to my birthday in August. That gives me two months. If I don't make the deadline, no camera.

How's that for motivation, eh? I'll let you know if I make it.

A few weeks ago I finished Donald Maass' "Writing the Breakout Novel." Excellent book. He gives excellent advice along with examples of recent (since the book's publication in 2000) breakout novels. He shows what they each have in common, and I gotta admit, it's fairly simple.

In theory. In practice it's something else.

When I purchased the book, I also bought the companion workbook.

Here I ran into a snag.

In each chapter such as creating a multidimensional character and establishing inner conflict, we're supposed to go through and change certain parts of our work in progress.

The snag came when I couldn't find good examples to modify. It's not that because my book is in dire need of so much help, but that it already had the well-rounded characters, oodles of inner conflict, and even parts where the character does something unexpected.

I decided the workbook needs to be shelved until I tackle a less-refined novel - one in it's first or second draft.

The realization boosted me quite a bit. My novel doesn't need as much work as I feared. I won't claim it's of breakout caliber, but I will certainly continue to work toward that goal, and dream it's possible.

A question for you. When you lack motivation to complete a writing project, how do you push yourself to finish?