This originally went live on April 28th, 2014. Couldn’t pass this one up when I stumbled onto it. It was actually the beginning of a series and I looked into each of my reasons throughout the week. This was back when I was doing lengthy themes.
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We see and hear this question a lot: Why do you write?
The funny thing is that I’ve seen some people answer this question differently every time it’s asked. Typically, this is part of an interview, so we feel like there’s limited space to answer. Maybe that’s why an author plunges their hand into the bag of ‘why’ and pulls only one of the reason out. It’s unfortunate because an author who answers ‘I do it for the love of words’ one time and says ‘to pay the bills’ a few months later can get labeled as a hypocrite. Then the backtracking occurs even though they were correct both times. It might even be that reasons change.
Personally, I write because I love writing and enjoy sharing my stories. That’s the main reason and I think every person has a core reason. Other answers come about to connect to the core, so I can’t really ignore them. I do want to make enough money to live on with my writing. Through this, I can continue writing full-time and more of my stories can come to light. I won’t deny that part of me wants to leave a literary legacy behind as well, which is why I’m trying to create a vast world with Windemere. Only one series that I have planned will appear outside of Windemere and only because it’s in outer space. This could change if I feel that I’m not up to tackling science-fiction due to my lack of science knowledge and desire to explain the inner workings of some tech. Finally, I truly can’t see myself doing anything except writing. So, it boils down to:
- Love of writing.
- Desire to bring escapist joy to others.
- Money.
- Leaving a legacy.
- Don’t know any better.
So, one could say that it really isn’t a simple, cut-and-dry answer for me. Though that’s just me. I’ve met people who really do boil down to a single reason such as ‘easy way to make money’, ‘easy way to get famous’, or ‘I have a story to tell’.
What are your reasons for taking on the mantle of author/writer?
Legends of Windemere 
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
What are your reasons for becoming an author/writer?
Let Charles know on his blog 😃
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Thanks. 🙂 Hoping the conversation is fun. Though I think a lot of people are already on Christmas vacation.
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They’re still finding time to surf the blogs Charles 😃
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Writing’s like therapy to me. It has a calming influence on me and I’ve been doing it since I was in elementary school. Someday I hope to retire and get my Agatha Christie on. 🙂
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A very noble and fun goal. 🙂 Therapy is a great reason and I think most authors can say the same. Do you write mystery books like Agatha Christie?
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No. I would just like to have another “career”, being able to write in my older age like she does. 🙂
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I really should look up her biography. Curious as to when she began writing as a ‘career’.
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I need to, too! LOL! I only remember her from her older years. She might’ve been writing before that but that’s when I first heard of her.
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I remember the name from when I was a kid. Seemed like she’s always been writing.
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I just checked and she published her first book in 1920 when she was roughly thirty years old and according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the best-selling novelist of all time. So she had (and although she’s deceased, her estate) has had a very prolific writing career.
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Wow. Impressive, but not that surprising.
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Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog.
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Thanks for the reblog.
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I write since I love to tell the stories that roll out of my head. (also, everyone I know can’t stand listening to the stories anymore)
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I’m in that boat too. The people around me seem to be uninterested in what I’m writing. And they say your friends and family are the first line of fans. Ha!
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I think it’s a universal thing.
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I write for many reasons. To entertain. To create stories I want to read. To draw others into my imaginary worlds. To make money (HA!). To feel a sense of accomplishment with each book published. To make a name for myself. To make people smile. And, most of all, to have fun 🙂
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That last one is very important. Helps keep the voices at bay. 🙂
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I enjoy writing for children and I hope the positive messages offered in my stories inspire them to reach for their dreams.
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Perfect for this time of year. 😀
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Thank you, Mr. Yallowitz.
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You’re welcome.
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Great post and answers. I really like that Thomas Berger quote. I’ve been writing stories since I was about eight years old. I started off wanting to entertain myself and my best friend at that time. We both loved adventure stories—particularly fantasy and science fiction stories. Those stories inspired us to write our own.
As I learned to write different things (short stories; nonfiction essays; articles; poems) I began writing for publication. Those efforts have met with mixed success. Rejections sometimes derail me for a time. When those come, I remind myself of my reason for writing. Why do I write? I can tell you that in five words: because I want to write.
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I started around that age with animal and joke books. It didn’t get beyond that because I was told that I needed to focus more on math and science. Kind of a deficiency there.
Love that reasoning. 🙂
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I also had a joke book. 🙂 And I was told the same thing–to concentrate on math and science. I tried, but eventually went back to story writing. 😀
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Was never sure why that was such a thing back then. Guess in school, people are more inclined to push kids to what they don’t like because those are the weak spots. No sense of specialty.
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You’re so right. The reasons are myriad and changeable. I wrote about this last year and still haven’t changed my mind as to the why. Forgive the link. It says it better than I can here. https://scottishmomus.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/we-write/
Right now, in this Christmas rush of shopping and prep I’m missing it so badly that my best Christmas would be time to write. Well, after all the festivities. Funny how, even in the midst of so much else going on, I just keep missing having the time I’ve managed to manufacture to write. it’s therapeutic, cathartic. It’s comfort. It’s needed. Merry Christmas to you and yours and may you have all the time and inspiration you need to write.
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It’s kind of like being alone with your thoughts and giving an inner focus. I know what you mean about this time of year jabbing into writing time. Even being Jewish, the school break means my son is home and there are events to be had. It’s like I have to wait for everyone else to run out of steam or finish with me before I slink off to a notebook or my laptop. I’m hoping next week is calmer than this one, but I’m bracing myself for a writing void until early January.
Excellent poem. Really loved that last stanza. The line about writing about whatever our musings conjure made me smile. 🙂
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Love that quote!
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It really caught my eye when I saw it. Simple and to the point.
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That’s what drew me to reading your post. 🙂
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Writing makes me feel alive and happy. My creative spirit takes over and flies. So busy with all the Christmas preparations that writing is taking a back seat now. Look forward to getting back to business. lol!
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I’m looking forward to it too and I don’t even celebrate the holiday. I’m hoping to do editing next week, but won’t hold my breath. Means I’ll have a very busy January. Guess things slow down a lot for people around this time of year.
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I write because I enjoy writing. I don’t do it for any other reason other than that. It’s a way of placing on paper all the wild ideas I’ve had when I was a little kid and sharing it with the world. It’s my favorite thing to do in the whole world.
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Funny how often it goes back to childhood stories. Those really seem to linger for people, but that’s definitely a good thing. Kind of like a surviving shard of childhood wonder.
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