When do you feel the most motivated to do mu*-related stuff? (I'm being player-centric with this one. Please answer as a player, not as an immortal.)

2 things get me goin'...

1) Important RP. I mean, RPing with somebody about something that actually has consequences to it. Not just chit chat, but some real earth-shattering roleplay with characters that make other characters stand up and take notice.

2) Coffee. Nothing gets me goin' like caffeine.

Right when I make the character, and create his description and background... that's wen I feel most motivated. The problem with this, however, is I tend to make about 5 or 6 characters, and only end up playing 2 of them.

Also, meaningful RP makes me feel motivated with my character... if one of my characters isn't apart of some kind of good roleplaying, I give up on him. It just isn't fun...

For me its always a long while into the character's creation. All my characters are blank slates relatively. They have a history a story a basic goal, but they never live until that point when I go...

"there we are..."

...this may come after an insult or attack, after witnessing something evil, after witnessing a chance to make money, or seize power. But it is a clear definitive moment when I just smile and realize what the character was born to do.

...

I'm the same as Chapel in that I allow events to mould/shape the way my character acts/interacts.

I more let details shape who my character is. Events help too...but like Chapel and Riviat, my character's a blank slate until I figure out stuff like 'If <topic of your choice> came up in conversation, how would Rytorth respond?' After all...as much as events may help shape my characters...I more rely on the little details. The littler the better. If I can figure out how my character would act in her normal day-to-day life, then I can go on to figure out how she would act outside that normal life....and I can figure out /why/ she would do this, that and the other thing (never mind that I'm supposed to know why in the first place.)