Why do writers write?
I suspect there are as many answers to that question as there are writers. Everyone has their own reasons. Me? I write for the same reason I read books and watch movies--it allows me to visit imaginary worlds I wouldn’t be able to reach any other way.
For example, my daughter loves dragons. She wishes they were real. Sometimes, she wishes she could be one. She’s even come up with a pretty good idea for a story about dragons. I keep telling her to write these ideas down. Perhaps she’ll never get around to writing the story, but putting the ideas on paper might make her dragon populated world seem more real to her. At least that’s how it works for me. I write because it makes my imaginary worlds seem real.
This mindset is what got me started on my writing journey in the first place. The Goblet of Fire (the fourth story in the Harry Potter pantheon) movie reminded me so much of my college years that I longed to return to those days, but the only way that was going to happen was if I sat down and wrote a story about it myself. In the process, I discovered how much I love writing fantasy, and things just kind of took off from there.
Some people consider writing to be therapeutic. I think of it as an alternative way to visit foreign lands/worlds/universes. Not only is it cheaper than flying/disapparating/teleporting, but I don’t have to pack any suitcases either.
Why do you write?
ChemistKen
Website of Ken Rahmoeller -- fantasy author, chemist, and lover of all things Hogwarts (Photo Courtesy of Scarluuk)
I love your reason for writing! When I was a kid, I used to daydream all the time and make up stories in my head while I played outside in my yard and then I had a storytelling grandmother and a storytelling dad, so when I wrote my first story, I was kind of amazed - I could write it down and keep it. :) It wasn't very good, but I was still pleased. I guess that's part of why I still write today. I get to write down some of the wild daydreams and keep them like postcards from imaginary lands.
ReplyDeleteI wrote a story back in high school. It was a pretty bad imitation of a Star Trek episode. Wish I still had it.
Delete"Not only is it cheaper than flying/disapparating/teleporting, but I don’t have to pack any suitcases either." Love this sentence! :D I write because the stories in my head just won't keep quiet. Plus, there's always that feeling of satisfaction when a scene in your head works its way into a paper / computer. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, and the more people that read the story, the more real it feels to me.
DeleteI suppose a lot of us like to go back and explore our experiences as younger people. That's definitely one reason to write stories. I like to write so I can make the story go where I want it to go.
ReplyDeleteI definitely like that last point, about making the story go where I want it to go. A definite plus.
DeleteYes! I write for much the same reason, to make it real to me. With writing, I get to go on the adventure, to meet the people, to fight the monsters. And, maybe, I can make it real for someone else too. :)
ReplyDeleteWriting allows me to do things that I would never do in real life, like being a hero.
DeleteI write for different reasons at different seasons of life. When I was young, it was to explore the world. As a teen, it was to justify the unjustified. As a young mother, it was to stay sane. As an adult, it's a myriad of reasons. We grow with our writing, but mostly now I write to explore--like when I started.
ReplyDeleteI write because pressure builds up inside me if I don't. It almost doesn't matter what I write, so long as it's something. Looking back, though, I see similar themes running throughout my writing, so it's clear my subconscious is trying to make sense of certain things. So I guess I write because it somehow furthers my understanding of myself and the world. It allows me to break apart who I am into other, smaller fragments (characters) and examine each piece separately and thoroughly.Then I put myself back together and have learned something about myself and my place in the world.
ReplyDeleteI have to write or I'm not happy. I get to be somewhere else and have some fun. I do find it therapeutic.
ReplyDeleteI starting writing so I could real stories I couldn't find anywhere else. And for escape to places I can't get to.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great reason to write, Ken! That's definitely one of mine. It's like being God in a way. You create your own world and the people who inhabit it, and then they just do their own thing! They'll even break your rules for them. I love how independent everything can seem when you let your subconscious creativity take over and write the story for you (if you can. It's great when that works!).
ReplyDeleteI also write because I love to explore different sorts of characters and relationships, even more so than just story alone. I like to see what makes people tick, how they tick with other characters, and what makes them grow as people. Of course, the "what if's" are what draw you to creating your own story world, but the people there are what keep you going back for more.
I've always said writing is just daydreaming using your words. I've always been a daydreamer. As a little girl, I enjoyed make-believe and regretted having to live in reality when I grew up. But then I found out we can still live there, but call it writing.
ReplyDeleteI guess I write for the same reason you do!
I've always said writing is just daydreaming using your words. I've always been a daydreamer. As a little girl, I enjoyed make-believe and regretted having to live in reality when I grew up. But then I found out we can still live there, but call it writing.
ReplyDeleteI guess I write for the same reason you do!
I have always had stories going on in my head -- ever since I was a little kid too young to write. I used to illustrate the stories and make my dad write the words. I am happiest when I have a story to work on ... and depressed when I hit a dry spell.
ReplyDeleteI wondered what got you started. I have a review request for a book I think your daughter will like. Will send it to you.
ReplyDeleteLife can be a bit too real. Its nice to live in a safe place of my own creation, and vent some of my more urgent feelings.
ReplyDeleteAnna from Elements of Writing