Motivation and external validation
Winkletter • 11 Apr 2022 •
I started working on a new novel yesterday, and I was wondering if I should say anything here. It’s likely to be another “trunk” novel. Something I write purely for the practice.
Interestingly, my decision to make my new project public relates to my topic for the day: Investigate External Validation.
One reason that some writers get writer’s block is because they work for narcissistic supply. A nicer way of saying that is external validation. And if the writer is worried the work won’t provide that validation, they won’t finish. So, I think it’s important for a writer to write about their relationship to narcissistic supply/external validation and how it relates to other forms of motivation.
As I’ve been working through these topics on writer’s block, I’ve started working on a model that relates five factors of motivation to each other. If you’ve played Magic: the Gathering, you may recognize the diagram below.
- Belonging: acceptance, networks, and mutualism
- Security: safety, systems, and protectionism
- Esteem: self-worth, identity, and objectivism
- Agency: freedom, creativity, and anarchism
- Value: significance, utility, and subjectivism
Factors that are next to each other work well together. The more distant factors antagonize each other.
Going back to external validation, this is represented by Value.
- Belonging and Agency are its complements.
- Security and Esteem are antagonists.
In my case, I’m motivated to write by my own sense of self-esteem. I don’t mind if people criticize my writing because that criticism will either help me write better, or not. Their subjective criticism doesn’t trouble my self-esteem.
For other people who seek external validation, criticism is trauma.
But, if I get praised by someone, that can throw me into an emotional tailspin. When I get told that my work is valuable, I get a quick thrill like most people, but then I begin to worry about my own security.
You see, for most people, a sense of belonging is associated with safety (as it is on the diagram.) They feel protected. But somewhere in my past I didn’t make that association. Being valued and getting the attention of others feels dangerous to me: Since I don’t really feel that sense of belonging, my value is always contingent and makes me a target for exploitation.
Instead I’m motivated to build my own sense of self-esteem and agency.
And that’s a long explanation to say, I usually work in private on my own secret projects that I never end up sharing. Writing here has felt like a safe way to talk openly about my goals.
So, I’m starting a new novel based on an idea I had two days ago. It’s going to be an experiment in “discovery writing.”
Comments
@jasonleow My plan is still to write 3 drafts and then pick one to edit to completion by the end of the year. Soon though, I’ll set up my “idea shop” and I can start really #writinginpublic.
@Winkletter the idea shop is one thing I wanna see 👍
@jasonleow I need to sit down with a Shopify tutorial and just do it. I really think it would be a good model for other authors to follow. It gets them to set up a storefront and email list while they’re creating their product. It gives visitors samples to read. And even if no one visits or gives feedback, it should help spark ideas.
@Winkletter I run a productized web design service on moonlight hours, and would love to create these “storefronts” for writers. Do you think there’s a demand for it amongst writers/authors?
@jasonleow Not as much for traditionally published authors. But I am seeing more talk in the indie-author community about direct sales. A lot of indie authors sell through Amazon, or publish wide through platforms like Draft2Digital, but it has become easier to set up a storefront that is mostly automated using print-on-demand services and/or Book Funnel. And I can see authors’ excitement when they talk about this.
Even if they just get a percentage of their audience trained to buy direct, it can be a huge difference in their bottom line: a bigger cut, faster payouts, and better data. I know of one company focusing on author websites, but even they don’t seem to be doing direct sales.
If it becomes a trend (and I think it will), there will be a lot of authors looking to send people directly to their author websites to attempt a direct sale first, but offering other options for readers who are locked into Amazon or one of the other eBook vendors.
Indie authors are somewhat independent, so some will set the pipeline up themselves. But many of them see the value in letting someone else do the work so they can focus on writing.
@Winkletter that’s cool. Thanks for the the link to the web design company - checking them out now. Self publish and direct sales does feel like it gaining a foothold… This might be an interesting opportunity to try to build a biz around. Funny enough, my very first client way back is a copywriter - perhaps that was a sign.
@Winkletter #writinginpublic
Curious to read the story now!