We all want to write, but sometimes it's hard to find the motivation. In this interview, Mark McGuinness explores what motivates us as creatives and what can keep us going for the long term.

In the intro, I mention my own writing updates and why it's important to cut through all the noise and focus on what really matters to you.

This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors.

Mark McGuinness is a poet, non-fiction author, creative coach, and professional speaker. His latest book is Motivation for Creative People: How to stay creative while gaining money, fame and reputation.

You can listen above or on iTunes or Stitcher, watch the video here or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below.

* On Mark's definition of motivation, the four kinds of motivation he believes work together and striking a balance between these. He also mentions his cover designer Irene Hoffman.

* How Resistance interferes with motivation.

* Using ego and social motivation to our advantage.

* Self-awareness and using our bodies to provide clues about how we're treating ourselves as we aspire to more.

* Thinking differently about the areas of writing business that we resist in order to find motivation for doing them.

* Our individual hierarchy of values and how that reveals what is important to us.

* How this awareness of values can support writing fiction when we think about the values that our characters hold, and how our values can decide whether we publish traditionally or independently.

* How Mark chooses the next topic to write about, including asking for feedback from his readers.

* How Shakespeare may have combined literary ambition with entrepreneurship.

* Mark's ideas about rules vs. principles.

* The most common issue Mark sees when he coaches creatives who want to achieve more.

You can find Mark at LateralAction.com and his poetry at MarkMcGuinness.com. You can find Motivation for Creative People here on Amazon.

Transcription of interview with Mark McGuinness
Joanna: Hi, everyone. I am Joanna Penn from thecreativepenn.com and today, I'm here with Mark McGuiness. Hi, Mark.

Mark: Hi, Joanna.

Joanna: Welcome back on the show so just a little introduction Mark is a poet, non-fiction author, creative coach, and professional speaker and his latest book is Motivation for Creative People and we all need a bit of that.
Mark let's start off with a bit of a definition because everyone thinks they know what motivation is. Well, I think they do, but how are you defining motivation and what are the high level things we need to know?
Mark: The first thing to say is that it isn't some magical quality that you either have inside you or you don't. And it isn't something that you need in order to.