Motivate Me, Monday!...

 When you think about what motivates us as writers, we all have certain things that push us. How things all started. But writing is definitely an art. We, as writers, want to be able to do something meaningful. To create a timeless piece of work that helps to leave your mark on the world.

In other words, our writing, if compelling enough, could make us immortal. Look at all those who have gone before us: Chaucer, Tolkien, Eyre, Lewis... just to name a few. Their stories are legendary in their own respects. Those authors will be remembered down through the ages, people still talk about them as if they were alive. And in a sense, they are.

Everyone wants to leave their mark on this planet in some way shape or form. People want to feel as if their life mattered somehow and that they'll be remembered when they're gone. Artists, singers, writers, we all want our marks to be meaningful.

So how would you make your mark? What is meaningful to you? How would you want people to remember you from your writing?

I've always loved high fantasy and my earlier fantasy stories were once given the compliment of being Tolkien-esque. Now, mind you, at the time, I hadn't read a single book from Tolkien. I heard of "The Hobbit" and of Smaug. I'm a fantasy RPG'er, that never read Tolkien all these years back. When the Lord of the Rings movie came out, I went to see it with a group of friends. They had all read the books.

I was hooked and then to realize the praise I had been given of my own writing from some random stranger... I was floored. And then I felt the pressure of having to live up to that. It took me a bit to get myself back into it. I think I kinda panicked. Ok, no "kinda" about it. I flat out panicked.

I read every book before the second movie came out, thanks to my mother-in-law who bought me the whole series. I felt, and still kind of feel, like I could leave my mark in that manner. Of writing a book that is as good as Tolkien's, but that added more pressure.

In the end, I just have to write books that are meaningful to me. Although, if they ever were to be compared to Tolkien... I'd have no problem with that.

What's meaningful to you? Novels? Poetry? Leave me a comment!