Why Do You Write?

This is that one question that creeps up behind every writer, relentlessly, until you finally stop and consider it. Whether you are a blogger, an author of fiction, or an essayist, there’s a reason to your writing and a method to your madness. And if there isn’t, there should be.

I want to address this question and take a moment to recount the years I’ve spent writing. The inspiration, the writer’s block, the stress, the emotions, and of course, the culmination of the final piece — it’s a wonderful, daunting, frustrating, beautiful process. And I think that’s pretty indicative of how the rest of life works.

If we want to figure out why we write, it’s important to consider what we write.

I write fiction. I’ve always had a story to tell. Sometimes, it’s just a quick scene that could have happened between two people. Other times, it’s a complex narrative about a crazy “what-if?” that turns into a novel-length project. Regardless, fiction is my most cherished creative outlet. I work in a field that weighs heavily on my heart and can drain my mental well-being on a particularly rough day. When I’m not working, it’s so important for me to take care of myself by nurturing my creativity, and storytelling is a perfect way to do that. I write fiction because there is always a story to tell, an insight to share, a thought to express.

I write essays. I’m 23. That means college really wasn’t so long ago for me, and if my dreams of grad school come to fruition (and they will!), I’ll have to get used to writing academic papers again. And I’m actually excited! Even now, the thought of writing my statement of purpose for grad school applications sounds fun. There is something so stimulating about collecting research, about exploring academia, about cultivating new knowledge and becoming educated. I write essays because my love of learning is not confined to reading articles on the internet.

I write reviews. I rely on Yelp to tell me where to eat. I rely on Goodreads to tell me what books to read (well, sometimes). I rely on the Apple store to tell me which apps to download. My point is, I read reviews before I utilize a service or buy a product, because as a consumer I want to make sure I’m investing in something of quality. In turn, I try to return the favor to the community and share my experiences with those services and products. I write reviews so that people can make informed decisions before they spend their money.

I write blog posts. I’ve only just started my blog, but for a long time I’ve had little snippets of ideas regarding various topics. Sometimes, they have nothing to do with fiction, or academia, or writing reviews — so I want to blog about them. I write blog posts because I am opinionated, or informed (but not always both), about a lot of different topics.

I have a love of language and words, and that is why I write, regardless of what I’m writing about. I think that as writers, it’s important to stop, take a step back, and reacquaint ourselves with what brought us here in the first place. Why do you write?

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Twitter: @vibrantmusings 
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