Make Me Want To

I haven't been writing much lately. Been reading a lot, which is something, but I haven't been writing.

I've been thinking more than anything.  For SFKBS, I figured out some of the mechanics of the plot, like the protagonist's motivation.  Going over the story in my head, I get why people ask writers, "Where do you get your ideas?" 

Out of thin air.  When you need something to work one way, you make up the way it's supposed to work--if you're writing fantasy.  Which is one of the main things I love about writing fantasy.

While my protagonist's motivation is a very good one, I wonder if it's enough.  Not for him.  Obviously it is.  But for other people.  Readers.

I waa-aay past first draft stage with this.  I've been working on it since 2005.

And I still don't have it all figured out.

It's funny, really, because there are other stories I was able to figure out in one go.  Books that, while, yes, I was going to rewrite it, I knew that when I sat down to rewrite it, I would know exactly what I was going to do.  Or I was going to lie to myself about the fact I knew what I was doing.  Because honestly, how often do I know what I'm doing?  Unless it's farm-related.  Then I really do know what I'm doing.

Not so with this one.  But I guess because I changed it so much, and the plot is very different from draft I-No-Longer-Exist-Because-Jadi-Got-Fire-Happy-One-Night.  Don't ask.

The story keeps changing.  But it's okay, because the other stories probably weren't worth telling.

Also, getting back to the motivation, I'm trying to think of other things to motivate people.

Fear

Curiosity (my biggest motivator, personally.)

Stubbornness (my other biggest motivator)

Family

Spite/Revenge

Anger

Depression

Religious notion?

Love of the romantic sort

Love of the platonic sort

Job

Money (mercenaries, my favorite--oh yeah, and capitalism)