Why Do You Write?

S.R. Hansford · #1 07-07-2010, 08:14 AM

It's a very simple question, but the implications of any answer you have could prove extremely telling.

VFurnas · #2 07-07-2010, 08:56 AM

I write because it brings me joy. I write to work out struggles in my life. I write to communicate, share, honor and love.

Secret · #3 07-07-2010, 11:04 AM

I like the thought of living in a fantasy land, but since there are no fantasy lands, I create them.

RaineDrop · #4 07-07-2010, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Secret

I like the thought of living in a fantasy land, but since there are no fantasy lands, I create them.

I agree! I love reading to escape and thinking how much I enjoyed a story, and I want to give that to someone myself.

The idea of taking a character that I care about and giving him (or her) life in print feels amazing. And having other people care about them as much as I do, that's even better.

addygryff · #5 07-07-2010, 11:40 AM

Because simply being a storyteller went out of fashion quite a while ago. : )

Ah, I don’t even know. Mostly because I get too attached to the little people inside my head and think they ought to be remembered.

B. Milliken · #6 07-07-2010, 11:56 AM

I'm a storyteller and a writer by nature. What better reason to hone my skills and write stories?

miamechelle · #7 07-07-2010, 12:00 PM

I write because at a times in my life words are all I have that's' mine.
I write because it's my escape.
I write because words are an eloquent way of making my thoughts dance.

Secret · #8 07-07-2010, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by addygryff

Because simply being a storyteller went out of fashion quite a while ago. : )

True, but one story I'm working on now, its as if it's being told by a story teller.

Ollzie · #9 07-08-2010, 07:21 PM

I write because I love books.

B. Milliken · #10 07-08-2010, 07:23 PM

Sounds like an excellent reason Ollzie.

Gaines · #11 07-08-2010, 09:48 PM

Story telling has not gone out of fashion. It still goes on. It lives on the park benches and courthouse steps, the family gatherings, remembrances tempered smooth by times passage. Our big and small histories still passed from generation to generation. Grandpa in the barn milking, while grandma hums an old tune in her kitchen. Life is full of stories and those that would tell them. Why do I write? I write to find a place for my passion.

David Wallace · #12 07-08-2010, 11:00 PM

I Write Because I Must.
I Write To Clear The Midden In My Head.
I Write To Excise The Demons.
I Write Because No One Listens.
I Write To Tell.
I Write.
I
Write.

Dragon King · #13 07-09-2010, 03:42 AM

Boredom. Escapism. Because I enjoy it.

Gwyndolin · #14 07-12-2010, 04:29 PM

I started writing because I had a terrible experience that left me angry and bitter. I needed an outlet. Something I could control when everything else had spun out of control.

I continue to write, because it worked.

I'm thinking of dedicating my first book to the person behind the original horrible event - in a smart alec kind of way. My critique group says it's a huge honor, and I should not bestow that on her.... We'll see.

J. Newman · #15 07-12-2010, 07:29 PM

Its a nice plesent thing to do and the only outlet for these crazy ideas I have. I don't write for the money, but it would be nice to recieve a hefty advance and disapear inside a project for a year or so.

S.R. Hansford · #16 07-12-2010, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by Gwyndolin

I started writing because I had a terrible experience that left me angry and bitter. I needed an outlet. Something I could control when everything else had spun out of control.

I continue to write, because it worked.

I'm thinking of dedicating my first book to the person behind the original horrible event - in a smart alec kind of way. My critique group says it's a huge honor, and I should not bestow that on her.... We'll see.

lol well it depends. If it's like the first book in a series, and the series is successful, you could devote the last book to her XD

Just as like a "fuck you" to her. But if it's your first book and it matters to you then it's best you devote it to someone you love

Dragon King · #17 07-13-2010, 12:00 AM

Actually, thinking about it, I have a better reason why I write: I love playing God. It's the reason I play the Sims as well...

B. Milliken · #18 07-13-2010, 05:38 AM

Writing keeps me out of trouble. . .mostly.

Redlorry · #19 07-13-2010, 05:41 AM

I write because I have stories to tell. Because if I didn't I would dry up and trun into sawdust.

God didn't give me a singing pitch, he didn't give me a artists steady hand, but he did give me an imagination.

The ability to see something and turn it in to something more; happier, sadder, faster, stranger. So I take my gift and use it, it's the best gift I've ever been given and it keeps on giving.

I share it, I nuture it and I love it.

Such a wonderful gift is a terrible thing to waste.

Casper · #20 07-13-2010, 07:25 AM

I'm beginning to ask myself this question - and not in a good way today. I congratulated myself heartily on finding it so easy to write the first draft of my novel. Now I'm reading it through for the first time (I didn't allow myself to read back at all while I was writing it), and I'm thinking Oh crap, what have I got myself into here! I'm currently plot wrangling, and thinking why, oh why, oh why did I write that. Gah!

Casper · #21 07-13-2010, 12:11 PM

Momentary sulk over - it turns out Chapter 18 is really rather good. There we go, a silver lining : )

Gwyndolin · #22 07-13-2010, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Casper

Momentary sulk over - it turns out Chapter 18 is really rather good. There we go, a silver lining : )

When I started my revisions - almost 2 years after starting my rough draft - I worked really hard on the first three chapters, over and over. They became 6 chapters.

I got them nice and polished, and wanted to submit to my first choice publisher, because certainly I could have the rest of the revisions done before they managed to reply. Their website says it takes 12 weeks, if they don't have something big going on, and right now, they kinda do.

I almost submitted, then I decided to read the whole manuscript one more time first. Chapter 4 (which was now Chapter 7) was awful! I couldn't believe what a horrible writer I was!

Anyway, sorry to hijack the thread - I just wanted to illustrate, Casper, that everyone goes through it. I can go back through those 6 chapters, and some of it is good enough to bring me to tears. I wrote it - it should not have that power over me. When I get discouraged, I remember that if I can make the rest of the book as good as those first 6 chapters, I will be happy even if no one ever buys it. But how could they not? haha

You could make your chapter 18 into that. What's so good about it? Remind yourself when you come across something that you think sucks. You wrote a great 18th chapter, you can make the other 17 or more into great chapters, too!

And one more thing: Stephen King's first published novel was Carrie. He wrote for a day on it, and decided it was horrible, and how could he possibly write from the mind of a teenage girl? His wife found the crumpled papers in the garbage and made him keep writing it. Now look what he's become.

Writing.Geek. · #23 07-13-2010, 01:43 PM

I write because I enjoy making something out of nothing.

I enjoy making up characters and going on a journey with them, even if I don't write as much as I would like to.

I also writing because it helps me 'express myself'. I can turn my feelings into stories and scenes that no one else could really match. No one can tell me I'm doing something 'wrong' or the scene isn't 'right'. I'm in control, and I enjoy that.

I write because it's my hobby, and I enjoy it, and I have since I was just a little girl.

Happy writing!
-Writing.Geek.

Alex Moon · #24 07-14-2010, 03:33 PM

I write because I am haunted by the pen. I remember the day that I touched that gently smooth plastic cover over ink. My pen glided on paper and it made words into waves. It sounded beautiful, it sounded as if my soul was being played by the ink, and for the first time my soul felt free. And from then on I wanted to share my soul with everyone.
I wanted everyone to get pleasure. Because I finally knew what was missing in many of the books I read of today. It lacks a drive, it lacks a soul behind the digital words. There needs to be an author who gives up some life in the form of digital words.

JBStone · #25 07-20-2010, 01:39 AM

I write because I have stories to tell. They're petulant little brats who won't stop tugging at my trousers until I feed them.

electricbazooka · #26 07-20-2010, 02:00 AM

To remake the universe to my liking.

RoryAnthony · #27 07-26-2010, 10:15 PM

I write because I want something I can fully enjoy. Don't get me wrong, there are many novels out there that are amazing but almost always they feel like something was left out or ignored. I want to make stories and books that for me don't have those gaps.

An example, you have this evil ruler with some amazing weapon but he is waiting for just the right time to use it, or if used like in Star Wars it's once and nobody really cares. My story would have a bit more active villans. The bad guy has a weapon that can destroy a city? The Good Guys are trying to find him but can't? Well guess what, it may take them the whole book to find his secret lair but he's not gonna wait for them, he can total 15 major cities in that time and will do so.

I just feel that some authors hold back too much, my goal is to write my stories without holding back my characters. Good guys may have to do bad things to get results, bad guys will not monologue while the good guys foil his plans and he ends up killing nobody, not all endings will be happy but not all ending will be sad.

But bottom line, I want these stories for myself, if others like it, awesome, if i can make money off them, excellent. If nobody but me reads them, ok.