Why I Write

I've decided that people who write for a living are a different sort of breed. Why? Because you do a tremendous amount of work, mostly alone in an office, without any promise of public payback. Your work may never, ever see the light of day. This doesn't even mean your writing is necessarily bad. Maybe the right editor or agent hasn't seen it yet. But at any rate, there's no guarantee that your work will ever be anything but something you privately enjoy. So why do I write?

1. My day job is in an office environment. It's all rules, regulations, do this, don't do that, very regimented. Not my thing, really, though I'm quite good at being a chameleon so people don't know any different. When I go home at night and write, it feels like I'm doing what I was really meant to do. It feels like I'm living out a dream, being myself, letting my creativity free. All very good things that make up for the fact that I have to have a day job that doesn't do it for me.

2. I like the challenge of writing a story that will speak to other people. And it is indeed a challenge. But when I come up with something that a critique partner says, "Yeah, that really rocks," I cannot tell you how happy that makes me, lol. I'm a sucker for attention and a sucker for making a connection with people.

3. I absolutely love being able to take my fantasies, hang ups, sense of humor, etc. and get it all out in a story. It's all me, down on paper, in living color. I think some people would find that disconcerting, but apparently I have an exhibitionist side because I want myself out there for people to see. As I've gotten older, I've actually gotten to the point that I like myself and therefore like my stories and don't mind people reading them, critiqueing them, or even telling me when something sucks. Considering how much I wanted to be a wallflower when I was fifteen, this is some serious progress!

4. And last but not least, writing is therapy. Now, I'm not going to put deep, icky stuff down on paper, but there is something to be said for working through psychological issues through writing. I think it makes the story more authentic and compelling. As long as it's not too dark and depresses the hell out of people. At any rate, whatever is bothering me, whatever long running issues I have, tend to come out in my stories, and each time I get it out my hangups about a particular issue ease. Hell of a lot cheaper than paying a therapist, that's for sure!

So, considering all this, I'm hooked on writing for life no matter if I publish or not. Of course, I'm hell bent on getting my work out there and publishing, but it's gravy to me. The meat of it is getting to write.