Writing Tidbits Part I: Motivation

Synergy

Rainer Maria Rilke gives us the ultimate insight into motivation when he writes in Letters to a Young Poet,

“Go inside yourself. Discover the motive that bids you write; examine whether it sends its roots down to the deepest places of your heart, confess to yourself whether you would have to die if writing were denied you. This before all: ask yourself in the quietest hour of your night: must I write? Dig down into yourself for a deep answer.”

Having and maintaining this level of motivation is my dream. My reality is I have some peaks and some pretty serious valleys. This doesn’t mean writing is not at the forefront of my life. It does mean I’m not Rainer Maria Rilke.

There are lists of motivational tools available on multiple websites, things like giving attention to your writing routine or ritual and knowing your own rhythms in order to capitalize on high energy cycles. These and other practical tools are important principles to keep in mind. I’ve started a list of these motivational tools as a reminder to myself.

Yet one of the greatest motivators for me has been having a writing partner, someone to meet with for encouragement and I’ve not seen this among the lists. Having a writing partner is different from being part of a writing group where the main focus is feedback and critique. Having a writing partner lends itself to a fluidity in the focus of the work and an ease in changing direction.

About six months ago I started meeting with a friend of mine who is interested in writing a memoir. We’ve been friends for several years and already have strong trust and good communication. We decided that spending writing time together would add value to both our writing efforts. Natalie Goldberg’s book Old Friend from Far Away, a book designed with prompts geared specifically for memoir, seemed the perfect foundation for our work. It introduces a word or phrase and sets a ten-minute time limit to write in response to the prompt. It’s a good jump-starter.

We’ve built on that foundation, adding a little workbook called Write a Poem. It names the subject of a poem to write and then gives a list of relevant words to build the poem around. It’s a nice stretching exercise for me, enhancing vocabulary and challenging me to a deeper reach into creativity. It’s peeking my interest in a genre I know little to nothing about.

We’ve also started working a little on revision skills, reframing an original draft by taking a whole new direction and also working on some line-by-line revision. It’s good practice.

I think for me one of the most important aspects of having a writing partner, of having this particular writing partner is the motivation he brings to the table. It’s not just about his motivation to write, or my motivation to stay on track because of meeting with him regularly. My partner is strongly motivated to be fully alive. His inexperience in writing does not hinder him from bringing this extraordinarily valuable gift to the table.

He lifts me up out of the page. My life becomes more than cardboard when I listen to him. He is just beginning his writing journey and the questions he ponders and the jewels he is picking up along the way, whatever glitters in the stream, he’s going after, picking it up and telling me about it. That motivates. That stimulates. Our time together produces a synergy where one and one equals more than two. It’s like plugging into a wall socket for a recharge.

I waited a long time for the right writing partner. I’m so glad I did.

Who in your life might make a good writing partner?

Writing Prompt For The Week: Must I Write?