Staying Motivated

Being a professional writer is not the easiest thing to do.  Your life will be full of rejection, you will constantly be seeking new jobs, and you will have to constantly engage your creative side if you want to keep bringing in money from your writing.  You can't be a successful writer if you don't have the drive and persistence it takes to constantly pursue new jobs and maintain the ones you already have. 

What motivates you and keeps you going when it comes to your writing?

MONEY AS A MOTIVATOR

If that's how you measure success, so be it. 

You need to set some type of goals when it comes to your writing.  If your main goal is to make money, then that can be a great motivation.  Although money should certainly not be the only thing that motivates you, you can use your writing income as a gauge to see where you currently are and where you want to eventually be.  If you manage to obtain a few jobs in the beginning where you earn a couple of hundred dollars a month with your writing, you may resolve to stop pursuing new writing jobs once you reach the point that you are making a couple thousand dollars a month from your writing. 

Just be sure that you do not get so hungry for more writing income that you start accepting jobs which don't interest you or go against your personal morals.  A relatively modest writer with high moral standards should not accept a writing job to author a series of erotica articles just because the pay is higher than other available writing jobs.  Money can be a great motivator, but it shouldn't be the only motivator.

Know where the real money is. 

There is certainly money to be made in freelance writing, but unless you can find jobs which pay a good amount then you will toil and work on multiple low-paying projects constantly in an attempt to make substantial money.  If you don't mind working on low-paying projects day and night then you needn't worry because there is plenty of opportunity to do this when you're writing freelance.  You should always aspire to find higher-paying jobs though, and eventually you may find a couple of jobs which not only pay well but also bring a certain level of prestige with them. 

Sometimes you don't have any choice.  If you are writing because it is all you want to do for a living, and you don't happen to have any other source of income, then you are probably in a position where you pretty much have to take whatever writing jobs come your way.  If your writing income is what is putting food on the table then you will wind up taking quite a bit of low-paying jobs in an effort to bring more money in.  If this is the case, you should still try to apply for higher paying jobs, even if it takes some time out of your writing schedule to do so. 

If you are eventually able to secure some higher paying writing jobs then you can begin to drop some of the lower paying jobs you have spending so much time working on.  Just be sure to be cordial when you stop working for the people who do not pay very much because you never know when you may need to pick up more work from them.  Thank them for giving you the chance to write for them and give them their due credit for getting you started as a professional writer.  Don't drop a project before its completion even if you have been offered a higher paying job, and give the employer plenty of notice so he or she can find a new writer to replace you.

I'm sure you are aware of the old saying, "money can't buy happiness, " and there is no question but that it is true. So, while higher paying jobs might make your home life a bit more comfortable, you might find that you do not enjoy them as much as the work you were doing before.  The best advice is to try to keep everything in perspective, and don't allow money to be your main motivator when you decide on what writing jobs you will apply for and which ones you will pass up.

FAME AS A MOTIVATOR

This may not be the best motivator.  If your main motivation is to be a famous writer then you're probably in it for the wrong reasons.  You should be writing because your heart is really into it, and because you have a real talent for writing.  People who go into things just to be famous - whether it's writing, singing, acting, painting, or whatever - do not usually meet with great success because their hearts aren't into their craft like they should be. 

It's one thing to want to be famous…it can certainly be one of the perks of being a really good writer although not every writer who is tremendously talented winds up famous.  It's another thing completely to need to be famous, as if the desire to write comes after the desire to gain fame and recognition.  If this is your main motivation for being a professional writer then you will probably find yourself burned out relatively quickly. 

Some of the best writers are not famous. 

Plenty of very well paid writers don't even get the pleasure of a prominent byline.  For example, there are many well-talented writers who spend a good portion of their time composing marketing materials for large corporations.  These writers make a substantial income and usually have more work then they can handle, but you won't see their names attached to any of their work.  You probably see their work all the time, such as in brochures, websites, and other advertising.  After all, someone needs to write the copy for all the ads you see, and even though they are paid well for what they do they probably don't get much fame at all from their work.  They may be well-known within advertising circles and among other writers, but the average reader does not give much thought to who writes the alluring copy on the back of cereal boxes.

The writer's life isn't necessarily glamorous. 

Just because writers spend their time doing something creative for a living does not mean that they are living the high life when they aren't working.  Many writers consider their job just that: a job.  Although it helps to define who they are, and they usually feel fortunate to be able to do something they love for a living, many writers do not frequent hot spots and go to swanky parties as a result of their occupation.  Most writers are just normal people who happen to write for a living.  Don't think that becoming a writer will immediately upgrade your current life, and don't chase fame as a writer.  Instead, chase good writing jobs on topics you love. 

Chasing fame as a professional writer will probably only lead to great disappointment and won't be the kind of motivation you need to keep going if things get tough.  After all, you may find yourself up at three in the morning, madly trying to finish a series of articles on some subject which does not interest you in the least, and if you look around and get mad that there is no limo or adoring fans awaiting your next profound piece then you're obviously thinking about the wrong things.  For right now, you should concentrate on becoming a better writer while getting your name established.

SWITCH THINGS UP

If it isn't working, try something different. 

Perhaps your heart is set on finding a publication where you can have your own monthly column where you lament about the joys and heartbreaks associated with raising your children.  Or maybe your passion is restoring classic automobiles, and you always envisioned yourself writing about that and nothing else.  If, however, after repeated attempts to make your dream a reality, you are still not getting jobs and you find yourself no further into a writing career than when you first started, you may want to take a step back a reevaluate your situation. 

Consider taking on some writing jobs which aren't necessarily within your comfort zone and see if you find that you actually like them.  For example, maybe you can't find a job writing about your experience as a parent, but you may be able to find a writing job where you test kids' safety equipment and then write a review.  If you can't find a writing job pertaining to your passion for restoring classic cars, maybe you can find a writing job which revolves around traveling cross-country in an automobile and checking out all the local sites.  You need to expand your writing repertoire. 

Don't allow yourself to get boxed into one particular topic because you severely limit the number of writing jobs you can apply for.  What is the worst that can happen if you take on a couple of writing jobs with topics which stray from your regular venue? Maybe you'll find that you just don't like it, but you can always try different topics.  Luckily for you (and other writers) there is an endless list of topics which need to be written about, so you are bound to find multiple topics which appeal to you.   

Don't allow yourself to get discouraged. 

If you are one of the lucky few writers who never has to struggle to find writing jobs and who never gets asked to do revisions on your writing, then bravo to you.  The more likely scenario, however, is that you are like the rest of the beginning writers in the world: endlessly searching for jobs, facing rejection often, and sometimes feeling a little bit like you shouldn't even bother.  Don't worry. 

If you are talented and have the drive necessary to laugh at rejection and persevere despite setbacks, then eventually you will probably realize that things are puttering along quite nicely.  You'll remember back to the days when writing professionally was nothing more than a dream and you will realize that you have come quite far in your quest to be a writer.  If you find that you have a hard time with dealing with the ups and downs or starting a writing career then maybe you should take a week or two off…no writing, no searching for jobs, nothing.  The chances are that you will be itching to get started again, and this will prove to you that you truly are a writer down to your core.

Always maintain a balance. 

When you are in the beginning stages of cultivating a writing career it may be awfully tempting to devote every last minute of your day to writing and finding more writing jobs for your next project.  Getting writing jobs offered to you on a regular basis can become a little addicting, and you may need to pull the reigns in a little if you find that you are spending a ton of time writing.  Yes, it is important to be dedicated, and if you have decided to write full time then a good portion of your day will indeed need to be spent writing. 

If, on the other hand, you find that you are starting to alienate your friends and family, or if the time you spend writing is causing a strain on your close relationships, then you will need to take step back and reevaluate your tactics.  Even if becoming a professional writer is a life-long dream of yours, you cannot pursue your dream to the detriment of your personal relationships.  For example, if you usually spend a lot of time with your kids during the day, but then you switch things up and plop them in front of the television for the majority of the day in order to get some writing done, then you are not doing your kids any real favors. 

If you need extra time to write, then maybe you should consider either finding ways to be more efficient (and therefore not necessarily need the extra time for writing) or maybe you should just stay up later at night.  Writing is your dream - not your kids' dream - so don't make them sacrifice for you to chase your dream.  You need to find a way to make your writing career flourish without ignoring the people you love.  This can be a touchy subject with beginning writers, but you do need to be aware of the potential problems which can come with a new writing career.  Try to keep an accurate perspective on how the time you spend writing affects the people around you. 

You don't necessarily have to quit. 

If writing is a passion for you, but you are disillusioned from the experiences you have when trying to be a professional writer, then maybe you want to consider continuing with your writing but not using it as your main source of income.  If you absolutely love writing - but you also feel as though your art is cheapened when you have to work with a deadline and editors slashing your writing to bits - you don't have to quit writing altogether.  It just may be that you aren't meant to write professionally.  There is nothing wrong with that at all. 

In fact, you never know what may happen when you stop putting pressure on yourself to churn out writing and earn an income from it…maybe you will submit a manuscript to an agent and the next thing you know you're signed with a publisher and you're making enough money to quit your day job.  On the other hand, if that never happens it's fine too, as long as you are happy with the decision you have made and you continue writing in one way or another.  Not everyone wants to make writing a career, after all, and even if you are a fantastic writer you shouldn't do it for pay if it makes you miserable.    

No matter what your motivating factor for becoming a professional writer is, the chances are that you are willing to work hard to get what you want.  You will not do well if you expect to become a rich and famous writer without lifting a finger.  Writing can be an exhausting process, and finding your next writing job can be just as exhausting.  If you can figure out what motivates you, learn to breeze past rejection, and find well-paying jobs, then you have a recipe for success as a professional writer.  Just be sure that you have some writing talent to go along with all that tenacity.
 

CONCLUSION
 
Writing can be not only a fantastic career, but also a way to express yourself creatively.  Nobody can give you a magic formula for becoming a successful writer, but there are steps that you can take and advice that you can follow which may lead you in the right direction toward a great career. 

Follow your instincts, don't be afraid of taking risks, and believe in your talent.  Even if you find that writing is not something which you are ready to do in a full-time capacity, if you have a love for writing as most other writers do then you will be happiest when you are able to get paid for doing something you love and adore. 

There is no reason why you can't be a professional writer as long as you have talent, perseverance, and a love of the craft.  Jump right in and get started, because you never really will know for sure what could have been unless you actually try.  You may find that writing professionally is one of the best career decisions you have ever made. 

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