Today is National Day on Writing. This year’s theme is “Why I write?’ I’ve thought a lot about this over the last few years, and my reasons seem to change depending on what’s going on in my life at the time. There are some common themes though.
For as long as I can remember, I was always making up stories. Even before I was able to write them down, I would line up my stuffed animals and tell them a story as if I was reciting The Odyssey in a Greek amphitheater. Today, telling stories has taken on much more purpose than for a child’s amusement.
I write to understand myself.
With so many demands on everyone’s time these days, it’s easy to get caught up on the things we have to do. It’s easy to spend all our time focusing on our Real World obligations that we lose sight of who we are as people — our values, our dreams, and our purpose. For me, writing offers a means to explore what I believe and provides an outlet for using my God-given abilities.
This same idea of finding purpose is often reflected in what I write. And that doesn’t always have to be some noble pursuit to benefit mankind. Sometimes a character finding his perceived purpose can even make him the villain in a story. But by writing about others seeking their purpose and defining their values, I find myself thinking about my own goals and values.
I write to escape.
When I went to graduate school to pursue a Master’s in English, I did so with the intention of teaching English at the community college or small university level. For a variety of reasons, I had to shift gears. My current job pays the bills, but it is certainly not my passion in life to sit in a cubicle for the next 25 years. Additionally, medical issues have altered my previous lifestyle. Due to a series of events and subsequent diagnoses, I have lost about 80% of the vision in my left eye. As a result, my ability to drive has been severely restricted. Needless to say, my physical world has shrunk considerably. Most of my day is spent inside a cubicle or in my small apartment.
Writing has become a way to escape the realities of my current situation. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily mean that in a negative sense. When I say escape, it’s not so much to pretend the Real World doesn’t exist or that I don’t have to deal with any issues that may arise. For me, escape is more about needing a creative outlet. Since I spend eight hours a day processing data changes and am home by myself a lot more than before, writing is my way to challenge my mind to do something different, to think outside of my cubicle wall, so to speak.
I write to learn.
One of my favorite things about school was when we had a research project (I know, I’m weird.) I loved being able to choose a particular subject or theme and explore the topic in depth. Today, the internet and digital archives make the research process so much easier (although unlike the commercial, you can’t believe everything you see online).
Whether fiction or non-fiction, researching people, places and events allows me to learn new things. If I’m writing about a fictitious government, I would research biographies of presidents and other world leaders. If I’m writing about someone sailing around the world, I would research sailing techniques, weather patterns, and marine life. From the myths and legends of ancient cultures to biographies of influential people, there’s so much to learn from the sources I use to create my own stories. This research helps to ensure my stories give readers a real sense of the world I’ve created.
Although I may not publish everything I write, I am always writing. I keep a notebook with me at all times because when a story idea or question I want to research pops into my head, I want to be ready. You never know when one of those light bulb moments will become a full-fledged story or essay.
- Why do you write?
- What benefits are there to writing, whether a full-length novel, a blog, or a personal journal?
Reignite your creativity!
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