Hello SE friends, Gwen with you today to explore the question, “Why do writers write?” To begin I will share a quote that stirred my thoughts about this topic.
On December 5, 1976, the New York Times published an article by author Joan Didion. In it, Didion described why she writes. I only became aware of her article a couple of weeks ago, but here’s the section that caught my attention:
“I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear. Why did the oil refineries around the Carquinez Straits seem sinister to me in the summer of 1956? Why have the night lights in the Bevatron (particle accelerator) burned in my mind for twenty years? What is going on in these pictures in my mind?”
When I read this article, I was left with questions about why I write and then realized that my approach is similar to Didion’s. I’ve always asked a lot of questions and struggled to understand, and often writing leads to answers. I’ll explain.
My first book is a memoir. It helped me process a journey that shaped much of my life. But the next three books are military thrillers. Never could I have imagined writing them. The first of the three surfaced because of a series of dreams, and thankfully, John Howell jumped in as the co-author. But the next two books evolved because of the questions that lingered – about the reasons for war and who profits, about oil and who controls it, about elected officials and their investments. These questions – and many others – took me kicking and screaming into a world I did not know existed.
If you were to visit my office, you’d find ancient religious icons and other religious artifacts. It is a place of prayer for me, as well as the room in which I write. For two years, large maps of Europe, the Middle East, Russia, China, and the United States covered one wall. I studied these maps, identified nuclear sites and Level 4 labs, and followed military deployments. I doubt I could have done this, except through prayer, because I’m probably the most unlikely person anywhere to write about such matters.
Going back to Didion, I relate to her underlying need to understand and the compelling desire to share through writing. When I uncovered the answers to the questions mentioned above, I wanted to stand on a mountain top and yell my findings to the world. It was that upsetting. Instead, I crafted fictional thrillers that housed real truths.
But there are other reasons I enjoy writing, and most are commonly shared. I’ve listed a few of them below. I hope you’ll consider them with me and let me know if they resonate with you as well.
I write, we write …
- To dream – to imagine a world different from our experience, to travel, to forget, to be somewhere else and maybe someone else.
- To leave a legacy, something concrete that will say, “I lived, I tried, here’s part of me.”
- To connect with others, find community, and share our journey, even though we may never meet.
- To enjoy the challenge and the aesthetics of good prose and rhyme.
- To face the fear of failure and prove to ourselves that we can do it.
- To find ourselves, our purpose, the reason for our life.
- To create something beautiful, magical, meaningful, even memorable.
So dear friends, do any of these resonate? Please share what stirs your imagination and prompts you to create a scene and build a story. This list needs to grow and I’d love to add your motivations to it.
I hope you have a wonderful week. I’ll be back next month. Till then…
Story Empire 
I write mainly to escape. There’s nothing more fulfilling to me than spending the day making a story that someone somewhere will eventually get wrapped up in. I love diving into fictional world that other people have made and to know that I can also do that is amazing to me. Great post!
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What a wonderful reason to write, Cephinise. Thank you for sharing. 😊
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Writing really does help us work out what we’re thinking 😊
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So true, Cherryl. Thank you for joining the discussion. 😊
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Thank you, Gwen, for the challenge.
When I write I am motivated to envision a world which is better than it presently is. I guess that this is strongly connected with the stories I write which inevitably emanate out of the romance genre. I seem to be seeking to connect with a world which can be – a world which seeks positivity and upbuilding, rather than a world which slides ever deeper into chaos.
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Beautifully expressed, Keith. Thank you very much for sharing as you have. Like you, I hope for a world in which love is more evident. 😊
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As for me as a starter, I write because I want to prove that I am capable of everything to do. I am superb in being writer within my community. To share the culture I am living with. To show how i still growing throughout every experience I go through. And the list maybe more than that…
I love the way you illustrated the article ❤
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Thank you very much, Bushra. Sharing our experiences and realizations through our writing is indeed a gift. 😊
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Thanks for this post! I write for all those reasons, but I’d like to add that I wrote to survive. Writing is comforting and calming, a great outlet. I just need to do it sometimes. I write because I feel I have to.
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Beautifully said, Tam Jennifer. I’m sure others feel similarly. Especially during these last couple of years, when our usual supports were absent, writing gave us a way to speak. I just read a few of your poems and they are lovely. Thank you for visiting and sharing.
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Thank you 💚
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I think not just writing but whenever we want to pursue a passion or select a career, we should ask ourselves why do we want to do it? Doing something for money is not a bad thing. But there should be a higher purpose for investing time into something. I write to express my love for dance. But sometimes I also write to understand why am I feeling confused and overwhelmed. Thought provoking post, Gwen 👍
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Thank you, Ranjana, for sharing your passion. My daughter was a professional ballerina when she was young, and I learned a lot through her and all the dancers. They put words in motion and created incredible stories. How wonderful that you love dance and now use the written word to unravel your feelings. Beautiful! 💗
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All you described in last 7 topics. Really love this post. 🥰🥰
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Thank you very much. I’m pleased you liked the post. 😊
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