Why We Write

Aspiring writers are often told they should write for the sheer joy of it. I suppose the well-meaning person saying such a thing might do so because publishing is a hard business and not everyone is going to make it big. Perhaps this person is trying to spare the feelings of someone recently rejected. I don’t know for sure, but any time the word “should” prefaces a suggestion I question it. I’ve tried to eliminate as many shoulds from my life as possible. I “should” exercise three times a week—but what if my body needs five times, or does better with once? I “should” eat fewer carbs—perhaps, but what if an ultra-low-carb diet brings on depression or exhaustion? I “should” write every day—but what if my brain produces large chunks of words that get dumped out onto the page all at once and then requires days to recuperate? I “should” … well you get the idea.

All of this “shoulding” on ourselves can be exhausting if not frustrating. What one should do instead—oops, I just did it myself. Find what works for you. And do that. It may take multiple attempts to figure it out.

So, why do we write? I can only answer that question for myself. There’s something about creating story that brings aliveness to my being. But while I would probably still write just for the joy of it, even if there was no hope of ever selling anything, for me writing is a business and I approach it as such. I have an LLC for my publishing business. I take it seriously. But I don’t write every day. Since I have now published one novel and one multi-author anthology, I also spend time marketing. I’m trying to learn to enjoy this aspect of the business because as any published author—traditionally or Indie—will tell you, marketing is a necessary activity if you want to sell what you’ve written.

However, the business path is not the only one available to writers. There are as many paths as there are people who pick up a pen. Many write because the hobby brings them pleasure. They have no other goal in mind and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Perhaps your path is to capture the stories of your life to share with your family so they understand where they came from. Maybe it’s more important to have the stories than it is to have fame and fortune. Or perhaps that’s where you began and now realize you want to take it further and create a book of these stories, or a book-length memoir. What way is yours, go for it.

The bottom line is that there are no “shoulds” you must apply to whatever writing path you choose. There’s nothing to be ashamed of if you write in the hopes of someday selling your work. I write commercial fiction and am proud of that fact. And just because you start down one path doesn’t mean you can’t hit the clutch and reverse course in another direction. Find your own WHY and write.