Why Do People Write, Anyway?

Why do I write? That seems like a pretty straightforward question. And if you prefer, I could give you a straightforward answer: because I want to.

Instead, I'll offer a more detailed explanation. I heavily suspect that most of you can identify with these same reasons. Please pipe up if you'd like to add anything.


Because my life is made up of words.
I deal with words all day, every day. Yea, that's the risk you take when you're an editor--but I take it a step further. When I'm not dealing with words at work, I'm reading. I'm reading eeeeeverything, and I don't just mean the books I escape with during my lunch break. I'm referring to my emails and my Facebook page and the news articles I read while I'm sipping my morning coffee. I'm talking about Twitter and my friend's raw manuscript and the online chat session with my brother-in-law and even the captions that are always on when I'm watching a movie. Words are everywhere. I'm used to them. I'm comfortable with them. And because I'm comfortable with them, that's the medium I use to express myself.

Because it's therapy.
A lot of shit has happened in my life; I'm sure most people can say the same. And when I'm stressed about outside forces I can't control, I resort to writing. Sometimes I write about my own life as a way to come to terms with feelings I can't understand and memories that can't be suppressed. Sometimes I write about imaginary lives as a way to envision a world I'd like to call my own. My soul comes out to play when I write. My method is cheaper than a shrink, no?

Because my mind won't stop letting me think.
This is similar to therapy in that it's a method of release. But this release is more of a necessity than a therapy session. My life is stressful (D'uh. Whose isn't?). Work and family and friends all jumble together to form one giant ball of stress. My natural reaction is to constantly think about it. My mind continues to churn long after I tell it to stop; this is especially the case when I'm trying to sleep. I write as a way to release all of that interaction in my brain. There are two types of this writing. The first is when the stress overwhelms me and I need to write as a way to stop thinking about work, family, friends, etc. The second is when the thoughts morph into actual sparks and concepts for new stories/themes and I need to write them down before I explode.

Because I want people to have what I didn't have.
When I was in high school, I really could have used some books that made me feel like I wasn't alone. I'm pretty sure there are a ton of teenagers out there today who feel the same way. If writing about abuse and sexual confusion will help just one person feel understood, then everything I've ever written will have meaning.

Because I enjoy it.
Do I have to explain this one? I know that writing isn't everyone's cup of tea. But it's mine. Especially when I get to accompany it with a cup of tea.