In this article, the author relates what she had learned about motivating students to participate in writing activities. She initially assumed that time consuming and materialistic rewards would be the solution to this common teachers' dilemma. Instead, she discovered that teacher enthusiasm and ability top the list. This practice makes sense because if teachers are excited about what they are teaching, this, in turn, gets students excited. As such, the author suggests that teachers must have experienced the lesson, be models for their students, and to actually do the assignment themselves. Only at this point that they can set high, realistic expectations for their students. The author also suggests one effective strategy: incorporation of writing in an art class. (Contains 4 resources.)