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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/12688-Why-Do-You-Write.html
For Authors: August 14, 2024 Issue [#12688]




 This week: Why Do You Write?
  Edited by: Fyn Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say. ~~Flannery O’Connor


Why am I compelled to write? . . . Because the world I create in the writing compensates for what the real world does not give me. By writing I put order in the world, give it a handle so I can grasp it. I write because life does not appease my appetites and anger . . . To become more intimate with myself and you. To discover myself, to preserve myself, to make myself, to achieve self-autonomy. To dispell the myths that I am a mad prophet or a poor suffering soul. To convince myself that I am worthy and that what I have to say is not a pile of shit . . . Finally I write because I’m scared of writing, but I’m more scared of not writing. ~~Gloria E. Anzaldúa


Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself…It’s a self-exploratory operation that is endless. An exorcism of not necessarily his demon, but of his divine discontent. ~~Harper Lee


I just knew there were stories I wanted to tell. ~~Octavia E. Butler


I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions. ~~James Michener




Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor



Why do I write? Because I must. If I go too long without writing I turn into the sludge monster from the pits of eternal gunk! Seriously, I get depressed, cranky or (according to my hubby) way, way worse! Necessary, similar to breathing. Beyond that, it is how I assimilate the world around me, figure out what does what, and figure out next steps to take. Those who know me well will figure out in mere seconds if I've been writing or not and, if not, for how long. They all knew when I was working on my memoir. Even though some of the writing was hard to do, I was a happy camper.

More, I flat-out love it. It has been (my writing) a lifelong work in progress. I have taken so many writing courses just because I could. Always something new to try, or learn. Doesn't matter if it is short stories, poetry, or novels. There is just something about starting something new, and not even necessarily knowing where it might go or lead or end up. Worlds present themselves, characters erupt into being and trouble is always just around the bend.

I remember, back in the day, being terrified of writing dialog. I'd do anything to avoid it. And then, one day, I got brave. I tried it. It wasn't terrible. It wasn't great, but it wasn't terribly terrible! I seriously felt as if doors had been thrown open and I've never looked back. It was so freeing!

Poetry-wise, sure, I prefer some forms over others. Most of us do, I expect. That's absolutely okay. I've tried numerous forms that I simply didn't enjoy writing. Some, I just am not good at. (Yet!) Others, like pantoums or sestinas, I have fun with. For me, it is more about the thoughts, the words than being forced into a form. I've never been good at coloring within the lines!

Writing makes me happy. It really doesn't matter what I'm writing. Could be for posting here on site, it might be for a book or simply, just because. Quite frankly, any excuse will do! *grin*

For years I was told it was a waste of time, that I'd never get published anyway, and that no one would want to read the 'drivel' that I wrote. They were wrong. On all levels. WDC taught me that! The walls blew away, the barriers tumbled and the shackles came off. I was free to be me.

While I was working on my memoir, I did a lot (and I mean A LOT!) of thinking about the 'why of my writing' and how it makes me feel. I thought about the purposes behind it, the results when I complete a piece, the sheer happiness of expressing my thoughts to the world and tossing them to the winds. In thinking about the underlying messages I wanted my memoir to share, I was forced to examine my life, my thoughts, my inspirations, my motivations, and my heart. I wanted people, my readers, to be willing to examine new perspectives, to be willing to go after what is important to them and to realize that each of us is special. In telling my stories, I wanted to show others that we all can do this. We don't need to be rich or famous or anything like that. We just need to have lived, learned from our mistakes, tried again (and again if necessary) and keep adding umph to those tries. That is, after all, what 'triumph' is, isn't it?

So, why do YOU write? Worth thinking about! :)



Editor's Picks


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#2324909 by Not Available.



 
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A personal essay based on my musings of my own process
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 Why? Open in new Window. (E)
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#2270871 by Fyn Author IconMail Icon



 WRITING ABOUT WRITING Open in new Window. (E)
Why writers write, what are their motivations?
#2255371 by essayist Author IconMail Icon




 
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Ask & Answer


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