On Motivation and the New Author by C.C.Cole

While many writers are out there earning a living by their work, many of us new authors write when we have time and keep our lights on by working our jobs and taking care of loved ones.  I'm one of the latter authors, with a demanding career, and by the time I get home, sometimes I go straight to bed with exhaustion.

Besides the "day job" like other people, I get distracted from writing by personal issues, migraine headaches, films, reading books by either other new authors, bestsellers, and classics.  But at one time or another, I have to take time out and work on my own writing.  The "Gastar" series is four novellas when completed and two published.  I love writing Shevata's story, but loving writing doesn't make it easy.  Every time I sit down to write, I appreciate other authors more.

Logic could state that "Hey, with little fantasy novellas, what's so hard about that?"  Well, the fun of writing the fantasy genre is that the author gets to make up everything.  The hardest part of writing fantasy is making up everything.  In fiction, the author must be cautious in designing the world, and if too much is left to be taken for granted, readers can't find the story.  To me, over-embellishments leads to sleepytime.

We new authors have our own back-stories about what events put us on this writing journey, but what keeps us motivated to write?  Gigantic sales?  Well, sure, but most new authors don't have that.  Great reviews?  Sure!  Encouraging fans?  Sure!

What really motivates us new authors is our desire to write, and when we work, we have to make time for it.  As I've stated in interviews, I take my laptop and put something on TV that may be a historic documentary or a film I've seen a hundred times.  I don't want surprises while writing unless it arises from the manuscript.  Background routine helps me resolve my daily stress and open my mind into the Gastar series to allow scenes I "see" to be dropped into words.

So for the part-time new authors earning a living, or taking care of families, or both, find out what works for you to keep the creative sector of your imagination fresh for your work.  If you're one of those disciplined writers who count how many thousands of words they write a day, you have my friendly envy and admiration.  For me, I love my boring lifestyle and my exciting world of writing fiction that I can claim to be my own.