This post was written in response to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group monthly (first Wednesday of every month) blog hop to where writers express thoughts, doubts and concerns about our profession. By the way, all writers are invited to join in!
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG
The awesome co-hosts for the November 4 posting of the IWSG are Jemi Fraser, Kim Lajevardi, L.G Keltner, Tyrean Martinson, and Rachna Chhabria!
This is a question I rarely ask myself explicitly, but I do think about the answer, because so many people ask me, and on this occasion it’s the Insecure Writer’s question for the month, so I’ll do my best to reply.
As I understand it, this question has two parts, a) why I write and b) why I write what I write.
a) Why do I write?
I write because I can’t not write, the same as I can’t not think, or feel, or walk, or talk.
Once I learn to do something which is useful and rewarding, it becomes part of my life and I can’t unlearn it or undo it.
I can’t stop writing a poem when I see a beautiful image, or have an emotional thought, or memory.
I can’t help carrying a notebook and jotting down ideas for poems or scenes for my books, and I’m sure I’ll never stop doing it, in fact I shudder to think I could ever stop the creativity flowing through my mind.
Now to the second part of the question, b) why do I write what I write?
I write about topics which I feel strongly about. This doesn’t mean I’m on a mission to change or improve the world, I would never be so presumptuous, it just means that I write about what is significant for me.
I write poems because I love capturing my emotions with a few symbolic words and giving them an artistic shape and sound, based on syllables and rhythm or rhyme.
I write Victorian novels because I admire Victorian authors who gave me so many hours of joyful reading and inspiration, and in so doing, I offer them my humble tribute.
I write about Jane Eyre, because when I first read it in my early teens, it was the first novel that inspired me to even think about writing myself, and I’ve never been able to get Jane Eyre out of my mind.
I write my blog because I want to reach out to and communicate with other authors and readers. It’s thrilling to know I can ‘meet’ and interact with other people who I’d never be able to reach or talk to or read about in my day-today life, if I wasn’t an active blogger.
I could go on, and if we could sit and chat with a coffee, a tea, a beer or a glass of wine, depending on our mood and the time of day, we’d share more ideas and reasons, because I’d love to know why you write too, and of course, why you write what you write.
Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to like and/or share and/or leave a comment 🙂
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I’m glad I dropped by. Thanks for sharing your insights as this is giving me pause to think about why I write when I do.
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Thank you for dropping by and commenting, Kate. There are probably as many answers as there are authors, but as you say it’s a good idea to pause, think about and verbalise our reasons.
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Great answers here. I suppose it comes down to, you write to process what’s happening to you and around you. And it definitely can’t be stopped – that’s hard to imagine!
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Thanks for dropping by and commenting. Nick. I agree that it can’t be stopped. I can’t imagine ever not writing!
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That is what this group is all about – getting together and sharing.
Thanks for joining the IWSG!
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Thanks for dropping by Alex:) For me, about 50% of Writing is a solitary process but the other 50% is all about interacting and sharing ideas and knowledge with other writers and readers. Thanks for supporting and encouraging the #IWSG.
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Jane has that effect on a lot of people. Good luck with your writing.
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Thank you, Melissa:)
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