Does a job where you will never get better at what you’re doing excite you? When you examine your ability to write, are you satisfied with what you produce, or rather are you motivated to get better? If the latter, to what extent does that motivation drive your writing? If as Daniel H. Pink claims in Drive, Mastery or your craft provides a critical incentive and motivator, you may have found something to push your writing forward.

Maybe the next time you’re editing, not feeling much Autonomy because this is just the thing you have to do to get your book ready, you can focus on how this process is making you a better writer. Maybe as you invest in yourself by reading up on how to sharpen your dialog, or as you look for ways to improve your character portrayals, you can also tell yourself, “hey, I’m getting better!”

I have a feeling that if you’re like me, you’re already there. This drive to improve, to go beyond the churning out of more of the same, is part of what motivates you. Whether it’s something as basic as spelling and grammar, or as functional as spicing up the pacing of your stories, or as ethereal as dreaming up that perfect metaphor, this desire to get improve and become a better writer already drives you.

On the other hand, if things have been feeling a little (or a lot!) stale for you lately, maybe you’ve been doing too much of the same thing. You might want to branch out into a different type of writing. Heck, try poetry if you’re a prose jockey, or viceversa. Try a different genre. Give different types of characters a try. Extend yourself in a different direction to master a different aspect of the craft, and I bet your motivation will slide up a couple of notches.

For samples of my work, visit my Amazon author page.