Motivational Encouragement

I simply love my sisters. The three of us have always been close, we rarely bicker, and we have similar interests. This last weekend they were in town along with one of my brothers (love you, too, kiddo!) and we had a great time ice skating, watching movies and the Olympics, and hanging out. We also had some time to sit outside in the lovely Arizona weather and talk. Since all of us, at one point or another, have been interested in writing it came up in conversation.

My youngest sister is probably the most solid source of support for writing in my life. We often talk about the stories we're working on, the characters we can't seem to get just right, and where the plot's going next. I always feel more motivated to keep working after I've talked to her about my projects. And I get really excited to read the books she's writing, too.

My younger sister is one of those creative types who is constantly coming up with great ideas, hilarious stories, and amazing music. While we were talking this weekend she told me that she had enjoyed my NanoWrimo project from 2 years ago. I know how picky and opinionated she is about books, music, and movies so this was a great compliment. She told me she thought I should polish it up and move forward on getting it published. She actually self published a book of monologues several years ago so she has some idea of the possibilities. She also mentioned that Mom also liked that one, too, which is an even bigger deal since I don't remember the last work of fiction my mom read.

After that short conversation I felt energized and enthusiastic about my writing. I'm now in a hurry to finish edits on my current project and then get back to my old one, too. My fingers are just itching to mark up the manuscripts with all those lovely red notations and then take the next step.

Having people in your life who support your writing is so important! They can be a great source of encouragement and motivation as well as a source of feedback. Who do you have in your life? Is there anyone you can talk to about your work in progress? How have they affected your writing habits?