Why We Write
I know there are those who write only to earn money, but most writers I know also write to express or fulfill themselves in some way, even if their income is dependent upon it, and of course there are those who write only for personal fulfillment, some who show their writing to others and some who don't. I want to go a little deeper than that. What, exactly, do we get out of writing? What do you get out of it?
I shall make a numbered list.
1. Stories. There are stories I want to read that no one else has written, so I write them myself.
2. Sharing. I want to share my joy in my stories. I want others to love the story of them, to think about my characters, to put their own spin on my ideas.
3. Pride. I have pride in my skill at making characters, stories, prose itself, and I have pride in my perserverance and market savvy that got my work published. I have pride in my dedication, that allowed me to publish over and over again.
4. Money. It's very, very satisfying and validating to be paid money for doing something you love and find fulfilling. Also, I like spending the money on things like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. DVD boxed set.
5. Secrets. Having secrets is having power. Writing is something all my own; my characters and stories are all my own; I can think of them in my head, planning and plotting and exploring new ideas for future projects, all the while keeping it to myself as a secret pleasure of which I share only fragments.
Anybody else?
I shall make a numbered list.
1. Stories. There are stories I want to read that no one else has written, so I write them myself.
2. Sharing. I want to share my joy in my stories. I want others to love the story of them, to think about my characters, to put their own spin on my ideas.
3. Pride. I have pride in my skill at making characters, stories, prose itself, and I have pride in my perserverance and market savvy that got my work published. I have pride in my dedication, that allowed me to publish over and over again.
4. Money. It's very, very satisfying and validating to be paid money for doing something you love and find fulfilling. Also, I like spending the money on things like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. DVD boxed set.
5. Secrets. Having secrets is having power. Writing is something all my own; my characters and stories are all my own; I can think of them in my head, planning and plotting and exploring new ideas for future projects, all the while keeping it to myself as a secret pleasure of which I share only fragments.
Anybody else?