9 good reasons why I keep on writing
Why do I write – that’s a tricky question, yeah?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been writing. I write for work, I write for myself, I write to come to my senses, I write to understand something, I write to create, I write to make decisions and to destroy.
But 15+ years are not enough to call myself a writer out loud.
As any human, sometimes I’m diving deep and need support to continue. I put here my thoughts that help me not to give up even though there’s no audience.
Writing is like therapy. There’s no way you’ll ever get to the point you can write to. It’s a big difference in between a narrative self-interpretation and a fiction story. And what’s more, people enjoy reading about themselves, not just your family history. But still, any of your wiring no doubt helps to release even the hardest pains.
No matter how I feel, as soon as I start putting my thoughts into words, it always turns better.
I enjoy old-school writing with pen and plain paper. That’s harder but more productive. Neuroscientists have even verified that driving your hand activates the creative “chakra” in all the best shades of the word. By talking to yourself in writing, you open the unconscious deepest self, which is full of determination and has all the answers.
In my grandma’s native language, two verbs — to write and to pee — are expressed with the same letters with just a different stress. And there’s some truth to this irony: you do both when you can’t stand anymore (sounds like good advice for newbies).
I write to understand myself better. Both situationally — how I’m feeling right now on a body, thought, emotion, and state level — and tactically. This is where it’s great to have guiding questions (almost self-coaching). Mine favorites:
— What do I want?
— What do I want for real?
— What is important to me?
— Am I in line with it now?
— Where does my time go?
— Where is it essential to invest it at this moment?
— What do I enjoy doing?
Sometimes I admire my texts. Everyone thinks they can write. But we both realize that more than knowing the language and assembling words into grammatically correct sentences is required. The essence remains behind the meaning when words are few and reading options are endless. The author's power is to convey the message and to do it laconic. Enjoy when you succeed in it.
Sometimes I really can’t stand expressing myself, and doing it in the format of a story is easier and more pleasant. That saves me from becoming an old man repeating his memories to all the neighbors in circles. Kidding.
I am writing to have a challenge. English is not my mother tongue, and not even my second, but my third language. To write, you have to think in the language, which is the next level of intellectual activity. I haven’t absorbed it for decades and will never write and sound like a native, and see that as a big plus. My English is simple, concise, straightforward — just like myself in any of the languages. Keeping the reader’s attention while doing so becomes an entertaining game.
I can’t agree writing fosters orderliness of thought and logic —important qualities in life in general.
And you also become more attentive to the world and people. After all, who knows, maybe one of them is your future character. I like to satisfy my childish curiosity and gain texture, expanding my horizons.
In general, being a writer is very cool. Just think about the diversity of texts you can make: from fiction of all shapes and forms to something efficient like marketing funnels, scripts, advertising, brand naming, or developing catchy headlines. Whether you’re writing a novel like James Joyce or a 300-word article here on Medium, you’re creating either way.
To feel yourself a creator, to leave something behind that hasn’t been there before, is delightful.
I wish every author to appreciate and cherish their gift. Not many people can put thoughts into words easily. Whatever your creativity is — water it and grow.
There are no bad texts, only those that have not yet been written. So just keep writing.
If you have tips and tricks that help you to keep on writing, feel free to share, I’ll be grateful.
