Why do we write?

I'm not sure I'm fully conscious of why I do it. Fundamentally it's just how I process the world, but why I write instead of paint or sing is a harder question. Mostly, I suspect it's imitative. I was surrounded by curious people as a child, and they told stories and talked with one another to understand and explain the world around them. I did the same.

Of course, I think "why do you write" and "why do you publish" are two different questions. One is personal. The other is social.

Why do I breathe? Why do I drink water? Why do I eat?

My mother swears I was telling stories in the womb. Even in "dry" periods when I haven't been Writing with a capital W, I've found myself writing lengthy letters (I've had to teach myself to trim them when it's a professional matter), journaling, writing college papers.

Why am I focusing on writing (closer to what you said your question was NOT)? When I was ten, my homeschool evaluator looked at one of my little stories and blew up with excitement at its quality. I'm still not sure what she saw in it, but the high from that never quite left me. My writing was worth reading.

Why writing as opposed to something else? I'm verbally inclined. When I'm on top of my game, I express myself with well-chosen words. When I'm in trouble, I argue myself out. When I'm struck dumb, I babble incoherent nonsense. I can't NOT use words. Although, there's a hidden assumption in your question. I've also cartooned, I sing and play several instruments, and I sometimes see my lesson craft as a form of creative expression.

I can't wait to read the rest of the responses on this thread—starting with yours, Tony. No fair leaving us hanging.

You might want to look at member profiles; we ask all members "Why do you write?"

Compulsion. I like using my imagination and I often find that performing or writing helps me work through things and solve problems I didn't even know I existed.

Because there are stories that want out of my brain.

I have no talents like drawing or singing or sporty stuff. But I always liked to read, and if I have any inherent creative component in my bones, writing was going to be the avenue where it would find release. I don't know if the stories came first or the desire to write came first. But here I am. I seem to do it pretty well. It's stayed with me as other interests/ambitions have come and gone. There's no heavy lifting. I can continue to do it as long as my fingers can dance across the keyboard and the stories still come to me.

Beyond that, I don't really want to know. I think it can be dangerous to know too much about one's creativity.

Where is the up-vote or "like" button? Yes... gotta get them out.

ubriel said:

Where is the up-vote or "like" button? Yes... gotta get them out.

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Here ya go: FAQ: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Reputation Comments and Points. It's the star to the left of the member's post under their avatar, etc.

It keeps me straight, mental health-wise (when it's not driving me crazy)

Two reasons for me: 1) I believe (whether correctly or incorrectly) that I have a certain perspective on life that no one else can offer, and I want to share that to engage and maybe enlighten others; 2) It serves as a release, as a way to vent the negative energy that has resulted from the disappointments and other darker aspects of life

Because I can't not write.

At the end of the day, creating stories has just always come natural to me. I always played pretend as a kid. As I got older I was dealing with abuse at home and bullies at school and my imagination was the only escape. So that point in life when people usually stop talking to their imaginary friends, that’s the point when I decided this world wasn’t worth living in. Then one day in high school I just got the idea that I could possibly make some money doing this someday and started writing things down.

So to simplify, it’s an escape. I often find myself creating a place where my desires can be made real. When I’m lonely, I write romance. When life feels boring, I write adventure. When I’m angry I write action because while some people deserve to get punched in the face I just don’t want to go to jail right now.

anthonyfrench said:

Eventually, I figured out that as a singer or orator I was expressing someone else's work, not my own.

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I feel this viscerally. I enjoy adding my voice to someone else's words, but it's not the same thing as creating my own expression.

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

I have a degree in art (emphasis on painting and colorpencil drawing), have channeled creative energy into teaching kundalini yoga to convicted felons, have channeled yet more creative energy into starting an interfaith organization in the wake of 9/11, and had umpteen people expecting me to appear on the Met stage, so I also trained for opera. But. My voice was a few top notes shy of a career; organizational work leads me to burnout; the maximum security facility at which I taught began retraining us to be more like prison guards and less like uplifting human beings; and making art has never given me the high that writing does.

I also had a sixth grade teacher who became very excited when he read a poem I'd written. He could hear drumbeats in the rhythm. Like Kat, I never quite got over that excitement.

But due to being rather more multi-talented than is good for me, it took awhile to focus on writing. Why do I write now? This is the one way to reach a bunch of people without burning out.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

Siri Kirpal said:

This is the one way to reach a bunch of people without burning out. l

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THIS. It's like gold for introverts.

It's my way of expressing myself that helps me handle my troubles, thoughts, emotions, and conceptions of the world around me- both the microcosm and the macrocosm.

rgroberts said:

Because there are stories that want out of my brain.

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This. A thousand times this.

I like using analytical and creative talents. Writing, especially in series, requires a mix of both. Cooking is another thing that mixes the two. I try to focus on things that allow me to combine.