“Why I Write”

This post is the 50^th upload to The Word Shed so I thought I would take a step back and be a little more reflective than usual.  The question of the title is one I don’t normally spend a lot of time thinking about but it does go to the very heart of why I engage in this crazy business at all. 

So why do I write?  I can think of at least 5 reasons.

1.     To scratch an itch.  I’m not sure how common this but many writers (as well as artists and musicians) exercise their art because they can’t not do it.  It’s like breathing, or eating.  I’m this way.  If I don’t write words on paper or a screen fairly often, I feel wrong.  Not ill, just that something’s missing.  Reading is like that for me as well.  At breakfast, I’ll read the nutrition contents of the cereal box, again and again.  There’s just something about processing thoughts in my mind and having them shoot out of my fingers to a keypad that is satisfying.  Maybe it’s some kind of innate storytelling sense.  Human beings are story beings.  We have been from the beginning (that could a blog post for another time).  I think we’re hardwired for stories.  And some of us are hardwired to tell stories.

2.     To entertain myself (and others).  At some level, every writer wants to entertain.  I write stories at least as much to entertain myself as to entertain others.  Think of kids and how they play.  They concoct scenarios and make believe things and places.  They immerse themselves in their make-believe worlds.  That’s exactly what I do.  Somehow, as adults this faculty of making believe is beaten out of us as we grow older.  But the hardwiring is still there and for some of us, it’s alive and active.  When I have an idea for a story, I am literally consumed by a desire to see how it turns out.  I write the story to find out what happens.  If other people are also entertained, so much the better.  I think many writers would admit to having a child’s curiosity about the world and what happens “if I do this.”  So do scientists and engineers, anyone who tinkers, in fact.  This basic curiosity about what happens next drives a lot of what we humans achieve.  I just happen to put my thoughts and findings down in story form.

3.     For recognition.  I have to be honest about this one.  We all want to be appreciated and recognized for our talents.  For some, like actors, the drive for applause and recognition may well be the main drive.  For musicians, it’s the sound of a pleasant sequence of notes.  For writers, the well-turned phrase or a sentence that makes you think and wonder: “Hmmm, maybe it could happen that way.”  Recognition is just a form of validation.  It’s a way of saying you’re doing something good and we appreciate what you’re doing.   It’s a pat on the head.

4.     To leave something behind.  My wife and I have no children, just a frighteningly smart Keeshond dog.  It’s a basic human impulse to leave something behind, whether it be a brood of good kids or just some good works.  In nature, we call this evolutionary impulse procreation.  Since I don’t have any kids to continue my name and family line, I want to leave the world aware that I was here by writing and selling stories.  Let’s face it, when death comes, it’s a bit of a downer.  We wonder if we ever made a difference.  I want to be remembered as a teller of good stories. 

5.     To make a statement.  Every writer has a point of view and a peculiar and personal way of seeing the world.  Some writers have a proverbial axe to grind, or an agenda.  Writers have a natural stage on which to make statements about love and life, politics and sports, religion and culture or whatever tickles their fancy.  Especially in fiction, just by the art of writing (choosing how to describe a character and his or her motivation), you’re making a statement.  And you may find a lot of people agreeing with you and saying something like, “You know, by God, he’s right!”   You can’t not write without expressing an opinion.  Journalistic objectivity is as likely as finding a unicorn in your shower.  Your very act of choosing one word over another is a form of opinion…an opinion that this is a better way to say something.  Some of us are just a little more explicit about this than others.

 

So there you have my explanation of why I write.  There are surely more reasons than this but these are the ones I could come up with. 

 

If you write anything, even blog posts or Facebook entries, let me know what motivates you to put words down.  Anger, disgust, some primal urge to beat the drums, whatever it is, I’d like to hear it.

 

The next post to The Word Shed comes on October 24, 2016.  Just because I’m so curious, I’ve been doing a little research into why we all like stories so much.  I’ll share some of what I’ve found next post.

 

See you October 24^th.

 

Phil B.