Motivate Your Writing!: Using Motivational Psychology to Energize Your Writing Life

by Stephen P. Kelner Jr.

Aspiring and professional writers alike struggle to stay motivated; in the face of distractions, obligations, and procrastination, the desire to write often fails to become the act of writing. Motivated writers, notes the author, are those who have learned to identify their fundamental emotional drives and who have established a writing routine that satisfies those drives. Kelner draws on the research and insights of motivational psychology to show writers how to harness the energy of these fundamental motivators. With a degree in motivational psychology, Kelner applies not only his training in the field but also his own original research into the motivational patterns typical of writers. Depending on their motivational profile, different writers will respond best to different kinds of feedback and rewards and will function best in different kinds of environments. Kelner explains the basic drives of power, affiliation, and achievement; he shows how these drives are manifested in a wide variety of behaviors; and he provides self-assessment tools to construct your own motivational profile. In clear and accessible terms, and with numerous examples and anecdotes, Kelner shows writers how they can identify their own primary drives and use that knowledge to arrange their work habits and energize their writing lives.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Self Help

248 pages, Paperback

First published February 24, 2005

Reviews

[Beth Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm ashamed to say I've owned this for years and it has wallowed in my to-read pile, which is a darn shame, as it is a fascinating read. It's very different from other writing book because it's not about ideas or the technical aspects--it's about why people write, or struggle to do so. The book there focuses on three major motivations: the need for achievement, affiliation, and power. In the Kelner's own surveys, he found most published writers tend toward the power aspect. This fascinates me, because my first instinct is to think power = negative, but not necessarily. It also means wanting attention, wanting to make readers FEEL. This is a great analytical read for writers who enjoy psychological studies that illuminate the self.

[Tabitha Rohm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely awesome book. Grant it, the majority of what he refers to in this book is to go toward helping your writing career; but, I think it can be applied in other areas of your life also. I do believe this could help you in every area of your life. It would show you why you think the way you think and why you act the way you act. Have you ever gotten out of a situation and asked yourself, "now why did I do that?", well this book would explain that to you. Everything we do comes from what motivates us. I don't think it would be a bad thing to find out what motivates you to do the things you do ... after all, you are the one going to have to live with the consequences, don't you kinda want to know what made you do it? I highly suggest this book.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must-have for any writer (or their support group). It studies the motivations of writers, and examines different styles of working and staying motivated.

After all, millions try to write and publish a book, but only a handful follow through, finish, and publish. So the motivation to keep plugging away is critical.

So much of the time, we don't understand the motivation to write a book. It's tossed off as a mystery, but here the author does a terrific job of helping us to understand why it is we do what we do.

It also gives terrific tips for those blocked in their writing, on how to break through, get past the excuses, and get back to work.

[Gail Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the actual writing tips are not new, but this book might help the reader choose methods that are better suited for their own personality. They will also understand why some wonderful writing system everybody is raving about isn't working for them. Meanwhile, I had to repeat the story-writing exercise a couple of times, trying to vary the motivations behind the characters' actions. That is probably due to my deep and overwhelming motivation towards Power. Bwaa ha ha ha ha ....

[Cary Tennis]

The first book I read about motivational psychology, which surprised me because I thought I knew what my motivations were but I was wrong; that is, the motivations I was conscious of, the ones that make me who I think I am, and who I appear to be, were not the ones actually driving me to do the writing I was doing. This was a very useful insight. The book has little tests in it that you can take, that are revealing.

[Oana Marangoci · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent tool for writers and creative people to help understanding motivation and work with it.

[Samantha Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty straightforward and doable guide on 'how to write a book.' It's less about truly motivating and more about process.