One easy way to determine if you are in your intrinsic motivation is when you are in what we call in psychology the "flow". When we are in the "flow" we start writing and hours pass like minutes as we engage our full essence in the writing. Dr. Ed Deci,'s book "why we do--what we do" is a great short book that can help us all understand intrinsics. A great topic for all of us to understand and align the activities of our lives. Extrinsic motivation has a shelf life---but intrinsic motivation stays with us (and evolve) throughout our lives. Thanks for reminding us, Chris!
Just found your videos via running a D&D campaign, my freelance job crashing and burning fantastically, and returning to what is my most basic want in this quarantine time which is to write. Your videos have been super helpful, and I'm thankful I found them. Thanks for your work and rock on!
This video is rather timely. I have written a LOT in the past, and I am known to write 12-16 hours a day when I'm in the groove, and do so at a fast pace. But then there are other days I struggle. And it's not from 'writer's block'. It's motivation. I find that when I'm writing in the zone like that it's because of intrinsic motivation. I'm enjoying what I'm writing on some level. Often it's very emotionally charged, and I'm challenged in all the right ways. The days where I struggle, i feel like I've got a gun to my head, or I'm only doing it to please someone else. (I do a lot of text-based roleplaying writing. Which is a lot like co-authoring a story, so the days where I don't do so hot, it's just because my co-author is pestering me and I don't *really* feel up for it, intrinsically.) But if the story is getting good, or has the right charge at that time... I'll go all day long. But more than that, this particular video provides a piece of the puzzle that's been missing. Especially when it comes to trying to write for publication. I always spend so much time putting pressure on myself - Will this be good enough? Are readers going to like this? ... When instead i should worry less about the future, and instead ...just enjoy the story and the work. The rest comes later. I need to make something that *I* love, and loved making. And if I do, others are likely to as well. Tl;DR - Super good timing on a very key vid for understanding my days in the zone and my slump days. Thank you so much, Chris. Also congratulations on the kiddo. Best wishes for you guys.
Just as a side note: people with ADHD often need that external motivation to do things. We are extra lacking in intrinsic motivation. So if you're having trouble finishing that novel because of a lack of internal motivation (and especially if you have ADD or ADHD), what may help as Chris has said is to give yourself an external motivation like a deadline or serving your readers, or having a finished series/book, or paying your rent. Hope that helps.
I'm glad you supplied this video, Chris. I've been meaning to figure out how to get motivated properly for my own writing. This seems to be the best motivation I can have to find my own intrinsic motivation. Thank you, Mister Fox.
Love these videos for exactly this: motivation. I'm way more into writing after watching one because I'm reminded of why I want to do what I want to do. Thank you!
Every time I have to answer a call about my car payment I think to myself: Chris was on the other side of this phone once. He didn’t wanna be a dick. Maybe this person doesn’t want to be one either. And then I’m nicer😁 Thanks for the vid👍
I so needed to hear this today. I have been slogging through revisions and have zero motivation. Instead, I'm jonesing to get started on my new series. Maybe I should bribe myself with work on the new series IF I get some revisions done every day or something.
I don't know if you did this idea already or not. But, since you love RPGs can you create a world map for Bert and a complete RPG with miniatures, that would be so cool. Fan of the book and RPGs might like that especially for souvenirs and collecting. I think if you played an actual RPG with Bert's world this might re-ignite a flame and passion for about writing the book. I watched your two video series about Bert when you first released the videos then recently I rewatched them again and looked the book up on Amazon Kindle. I'm currently reading your first Bert book (I'm at Chapter 8 so far) and I fell in love with Bert. You can really tell with the book that you thoroughly enjoyed it (or at least I feel you did) and had a passion. I hope you get that passion back.
I order my groceries online at walmart for free pickup, just drive to store and they put them in the trunk, no shopping at the store. Best part, it doesn't cost extra. Might check it out. Then you can write whatever you want to, while someone else picks your groceries out and still make your wife happy. Bonus: Use code WOWFRESH for $10 off your first order.
Awesome video. I really appreciate this motivation stuff along with your writing videos. Sometime it can just get overwhelming and this helps. One question I have for you is the RPG. How did you chose the system you used (D20, D10, D6, FUDGE), or did you create one from scratch? Also congrats on your wife being considerably pregnant!
