What Are Your Writing Goals and Motivation?

What is your motivation to write? What are your writing Goals? What steps will you take to meet those goals?

Those questions really stumped me. Why AM I motivated to write? I don't have a good answer to that question. I only know that I HAVE to write. Can't help it.

My urge to write is strengthened by reading lots of fiction. But, I can't 'just' read a book. I have to write my thoughts about it. So, I write book reviews. (No, I wasn't a kid who loved to write book reports in school. I hated those assignments. But, I loved our weekly trip to the library to select books). I also want to ask the writer questions about his or her book. I want to know all about how he / she wrote the book. That led to writing author interviews. (I have several published at www.infuzemag.com )

Eventually, I want to write novels. To that end, I take writing classes, have joined online writing groups, have begun attending writing conferences.

One of my weak areas is grammar. (I guess you can tell.) So, I bought several grammar and style books; signed up for some online courses, and accepted the position of Grammar & Style Columnist at http://www.dabblingmum.com/ . Naturally, to write content for this column, I MUST LEARN the subject matter; and this requires me to meet a deadline.

Fellowship of Christian Writers FCW@yahoogroups.com has been very helpful to my writing goals. A couple of years ago, I joined one of its online critique groups. I learned a lot through reading other's work, recognizing that something was wrong, but I couldn't quite say what it was; and then looking those questions up in writing books. Later, I took on the responsibility of moderating two online critique groups at Fellowship of Christian Writers.

What are you writing goals and motivations? Please feel free to share them by posting here.
Blessings,
Vicki McCollum