Why I Write
Here are a few reasons why I write. Each of us has our own particular reasons for spending time at the keyboard or with a pen and paper, but these themes recur. I’m sure we all recognise them.
– To turn my mistakes into opportunities to laugh.
– To refute the supposition that we all have better things to be getting on with, more sociable and productive things to do.
– to honour my life’s purpose.
– to become absorbed so that I can go off and explore new worlds.
– to have something to show for years of insomnia and broken sleep.
– To prove that following dreams is not only worthwhile but is, in fact, the best way to live life fully and happily.
– To demonstrate the power that is unearthed in learning to work hard for long periods without apparent reward.
– To demonstrate the value of persistence and achievements in small steps (this is a writers’ blog, so I can use a word like ‘increments’).
– To demonstrate the power of success to my daughter and set a good example. We can teach our children that they too can succeed by working towards something which inspires them. In fact, learning to persist is its own reward.
– To have something to do.
– To use my time constructively, so that when my critics see me sitting, they will not call me lazy.
– To enjoy that feeling of hard work and to counter loneliness.
– To create something tangible at the end of the day which is never the same twice.
– To feel worthwhile.
– To get lost in writing, because that often feels more productive than getting lost in reading yet another book.
– To turn depression, fatigue, isolation, unhappiness and anger into a channel for something beautiful.
– To keep my brain active.
– To learn associated skills such as editing, organisation, culling and discarding, multi-tasking, advocacy and confidence.
– To feel connected to other writers and the wider community. We reach out to others, explore and learn together.
– To reconcile and grow.
– To counter the notion of shortages. The more I write, the more there is to write about.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Please share:
August 5, 2016 @ 2:17 pm
What amazing words Fran, thank you for sharing them with us. Agree with all of the above.
August 5, 2016 @ 2:25 pm
Thanks, Lucinda, I’m glad you approve, and thanks for your comment. There are as many reasons for writing, I suppose, as there are people, but these seem to me the most salient, at the moment.
August 5, 2016 @ 3:40 pm
Yes, many of the above but mostly just because it is one of my greatest loves, I feel incomplete without it.
August 5, 2016 @ 4:01 pm
LOL! Trust you to go straight to the heart, Diane, thank you! 😀
August 6, 2016 @ 6:20 pm
Fran, you have listed so many reasons why we write and each of them are timeless. Each reason can arise at different times in our life, and all come down to we just can’t not write. Thank you.
August 9, 2016 @ 9:50 pm
Dear Patricia, it’s lovely to see you here, and thanks for commenting! Our reasons change, don’t they, but at the heart of them is our love for creating with words, as Diane reminds me. Thank you, too!