Motivation 1

The MOST CRUCIAL thing in writing is motivating your characters. Making readers understand WHY your characters would do what they do -- whether it is jumping off a cliff into a raging river (something more deadly is after them), or agreeing to allow The Song (Deity) to chose a mate for you (Sorceress of Faith -- because all you ever wanted was a family and you sure don't trust your own judgment anymore). This is all important because, you guessed it, if readers (including me) don't believe a character will do what he/she does, we start being less sympathetic to the character, begin pulling out of the story, then may put the book down. If a reader puts the book down, the writer has lost their attention and the reader may or may not pick the book up again. If they don't, the next time they go to the bookstore and see a writer's name on a book they may recall they never finished the author's last book and the new book next to the author's may appeal to them more.

My friend and writing buddy, Sharon Mignerey, http://www.sharonmignerey.com says you can convince her of anything as long as you motivate the character right -- making the character FEEL that actions (s)he takes is the right one based on his/her emotional background and the way (s)he thinks.

And yeah, writers talk about motivation all the time. Is it strong enough? And if motivation isn't strong enough, what can the writer do to deepen it, make the character more sympathetic, more believable? And writing buddies can help.

May all your motivations be deep today,
Robin