Why Do You Write?

I find the following question to be one of worth to all writers, at every stage of the game, from aspiring debut to New York Times bestseller:

Why do you write? 

I admit to a deep interest in the question. I have a number of author friends whose opinions matter to me a great deal, and I’m curious to see if any of them will stop by and share their answer.

I ask also because I recently had the pleasure of attending a writing retreat with a number of brilliant, talented writers, and we touched on this, albeit briefly. I came out of the discussion with this—I think it’s one of the hardest questions a writer can ask themselves and truthfully answer.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Because there are a million answers to the question of why create art, especially when there’s quite a precedent that shows creating our unique “art” does not guarantee fame, fortune, or self-actualization, as so many of us are hoping. On the contrary, it often leads to rack and ruin, unhappiness and divorce, and even, at its worst, death.

So why do we keep at it? What is it that drives us to create, to tell stories, to make art for others to celebrate and abhor?

Here’s a top-of-mind list of why we write (and by write, I mean create, in any form):

To be read

To make a living

To win awards

To become famous

To get a job

To tell stories that need to be told

To entertain

To affect change

To give people something to think about

To alter the course of humanity

To show someone you can

To get rich

To win over a love interest

To get revenge

To chase away demons

To satisfy some indefinable inner urge to write

To heal thyself

There are many more reasons. What do you think, fellow scribblers? Are you willing to share why you do it? I’ll go first. 

I write to entertain, to affect change, to make a living, to chase away demons, to heal my soul, and because I can’t imagine doing anything else.

What about you?

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