Motivation That Works

Monday—being the start of the ‘work week’ in several ways—is a good day to talk about motivation.  

Like every other writer, there are times when I get a story idea that excites me, and I sit down to write around it. Eventually, I emerge with a novel that I think makes a good read. My follow-up novel to my debut offering, Contraband, is one such story. I’ve been sitting on it for ages, having written and edited it. That was a stroke of luck, but hold on, I’m coming back to this.

Dunno if you’ve ever experienced writing a story and while you’re at it, you wonder if it’s going to sell and if you’re wasting your time. Those negative thoughts come to me now and then, but I brush them aside and keep going, especially if the story idea is hot. 

Fast-forward to last week. I glanced through the Writer’s Digest newsletter and saw where Adams Media was looking for submissions in the romance genre.  This may interest those of you who write romance that doesn’t exactly fit the usual formula—the link is here.

I did something I thought I’d outgrown, and something I don’t recommend for anybody else. I got excited and sent the editor the brief description of the novel they requested. I got home, puttered around for a while and then checked email at some point after 9:00 p.m.

You know what happens next, right?

Yup, a request, not for a partial as I expected, but a full. If I had the luxury of falling over in a dead faint, I would have. Instead I got busy reading through the manuscript and submitted it the next day, as there wasn’t much for me to do by way of editing.

Source

Which brings me to motivation. As writers we gradually find what works best for us on our journey. I’ve always been irresponsible in my approach to submitting my novels. I’ll write them, edit them and then not touch them again. Some don’t even get edited beyond critique partners’ suggestions. However, I know that if I come across a call for submissions that interests me, it’s the only way I’ll get work through some of the stuff I’ve written. Luckily for me, Taming Celeste had gone through several edits, including the print-out stage, and was just waiting for an opportunity.

I know this is a strange way to work, but then writers are strange people. Do you have any strange habits that motivate you to write and edit, but that you wouldn’t recommend to anyone else?

 

I’m hosting a giveaway over at the Readers’ Suite. It’s for an e-copy of A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case. Hop over and leave a comment for a chance to win.