The Fight to Be Heard | “Why I Write” Essay Challenge

This week, Terrible Minds’ Chuck Wendig changed tactics on us. Instead of fiction, he asked us to write an essay on the topic, “Why I Write.” Honestly, it floored me. I almost just deleted the e-mail and moved on, because it was a daunting request. How could I explain the compulsion that drives mein 1,000 words or less?

The written word is something that I have loved for as long as I can remember. In my darkest days, literature helped me power through. And when I needed it most, the act of w...