“Why in the world would anyone do that?!”
The only answer is that there was some sort of motivation, a reason
for the action.
Ask a child why she misbehaved, and you’ll probably get, “I dunno.” She might not always know the reason (chances are she does), but there is one.
Actors may think motivation is important, but writers – all writers – know it is essential to anything they do.
Fiction writers deal with the motivation of their characters all the time. Why someone does something will always affect the story line. Clashing motivations create tension and make for good reading.
Poets write to evoke feelings. Often their poetry highlights cultural or political inequity. People who feel strongly about something are more likely to take action.
Anyone who is writing anything has to ask the question, “Why?”
- Why would anyone buy our product or service?
- Why would this company want to hire me?
- Why would this student’s experience be important?
- Why does the world need to know about our scientific discovery?
- Why are people crazy about Pokemon Go?
- Why would anyone want to be a professional writer?
The answers to those questions will direct what we write and how we write it. Let’s make our writing life easier (that’s motivation enough for me) and find out why.
Now, If I can only find some motivation for housework…
Writing-Insight-Success 