Rich Writer, Poor Writer II: Motivation

The 'muy macho' writing studio

Poor writer puts off the word count like he's putting off a trip to the dentist to get a cavity filled.

Rich writer writes everyday, no matter what's happening in his life. He looks forward to it, even if it is like biting on the nail (Hemingway's words, not mine).

Poor writer lacks passion for what he writes. He sees words as a way of showing off intellectual prowess (he's also up to his big fat brain in credit card debt).

Rich writer is absolutely passionate about what he writes, even if he is writing to market (a wise journalist once said, To be a successful freelance writer, "you must learn to write interestingly about a tea bag." Writing interestingly means being passionate about your subject, plot, theme, and characters).

Poor writer makes excuses for not putting words on a page. He needs to wash his clothes, or go to the supermarket, teach a class, or post something witty and engaging on Twitter.

Rich writer puts everything else off on behalf of the word count, unless of course, it's a family emergency.

Poor writer often finds himself working in an unhealthy environment, be it at home or the office (assuming he must have a day job to survive financially)

Rich writer creates a positive, if not fun, work environment. Maybe he builds a writing studio out back, or he converts the garage into an office. Maybe, as in my case, he rents a studio apartment to use as an office. Or maybe he rents a cabin in the woods or goes to Europe for months at a time to concentrate only on writing.

Poor writer never rewards himself for his words. He is far too self critical. His work never seems literary enough, intellectual, or smart enough to impress his peers. He sometimes considers suicide.

Rich writer high-fives himself at the end of the day. He actually has fun reading over his daily word count as though he were one of his own fans. He often asks himself, "Did I really write that?" He loves life because he's making a living from his writing and his life does not suck.

Poor writer never sets goals for himself because artists don't put limits on themselves. They work organically. If the words want to come, they will come. If they don't want to come, they won't.

Rich writer forces the words, like a miner who shows up for work on a cold, gloomy, rainy Monday morning, chipping away at the granite with his pick axe in search of a single gold nugget. It's hard work, but it has to be done.

Poor writer rarely seeks the opinion of someone who isn't already a sycophant, like a fellow writing professor or perhaps his wife.

Rich writer seeks out honest opinions from total strangers and he takes his Amazon and Goodreads reviews seriously, but not too seriously.

Poor writer feels as though he's at the top of his game. The market just hasn't recognized his genius yet. He'd rather be poor than a sell out.

Rich writer feels as though he is always learning, always reaching, always seeking self-improvement. The market has already rewarded him to a degree, but he'd like to turn on more readers and make more money. Lot's more money.

Poor writer doesn't bother with learning anything new.

Rich writer spends a portion of his day seeking out advice from more successful authors/peers not only on the subject of writing, but also marketing.

Poor writer dreads the inevitable writer's block.  He's too tired from working all day.

Rich writer never gets writers block. He's too busy writing all day.

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