Why Do You Write?

This is not a question I could easily answer for myself, but thinking about it might give you some direction for future projects. Personally? I don’t have the foggiest clue why I write.

I just do.

Asking me why I write is like asking me why my eyes are green or why my hair is curly – and the answer’s the same – because I was just born that way. Some freak combination of DNA and genetic history. I write because that’s how I was built.

For me, it’s as natural a need as breathing, eating, sleeping. I’m sure there are scientific, psychological reasons why I write, just like there are biological reasons why I eat and sleep. But I don’t ever think about it. I just do it, the same as breathing and sleeping. It’s an involuntary thing.

I imagine if I were comatose, my hands would still seek out pen and paper…just like my lungs would continue to take in breath.

Or perhaps it’s more of a compulsion than an involuntary thing. Who knows? I just know that if I didn’t write (and talk) a lot, I wouldn’t be me. I wouldn’t be happy. In fact, I might seriously go nuts. (Yeah, I know, it’d be a pretty short trip.)

Maybe it’s my way of talking to myself without appearing like I have a few screws loose. Although, truth be told, my screws aren’t loose. Those suckers flat out fell off years ago, about the time someone started calling me Mom. Some days, my writing gives me an opportunity to argue with myself without upsetting the children. Even as teenagers, I don’t think my boys would understand if I had some of these conversations with myself out loud. They might go ahead and reserve my room at the home now. (Hate to tell them, that reservation was made long ago…our family has an entire wing named after us at The Home.)

So why do you write? Is there something in particular you get out of it? Or are you like me in that it’s just such a part of you that it’s impossible to discern from normal necessary functions like breathing? I’m curious what drives other writers to write.

Share your reasons for writing in the comments. Let’s see how many other people are simply off their rocker like me. Who knows, maybe another writer can put into words what I’ve never been able to find the words for.

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