# Why write?



## woodenquill (Jun 27, 2014)

Seriously, why write.
Suppose you write the world’s greatest novel, short story, whatever.
It becomes mandatory reading in every known literature class.  Famous critics espouse their own interpretations of, “the true meaning of your work.”
Guess what guys? I cranked out this little piece of fluff on a flight from Qatar to Texas because I didn’t want to watch the Hobbit movie.
My “True Meaning” was to put into words a silly idea I had while sweating in the Saudi desert.
Yeah, a camel gets kicked in the testicals. It wasn’t an expression of wrath against men. 
It was an integral part of the plot and funny to boot.
Why subject yourself to such scrutiny?

In my case it’s simple.
I have shared my tales with many people. I finally gave in to the pressure of my peers to start writing them down.  
More so, this is a legacy for my kids to share with their kids, and their kids. Yada Yada.
I can think of no good reason for my daughter and son’s children to escape hearing the stories they had to suffer through.
Most of the stories have a moral, immoral or life lesson buried in there somewhere too.

Most of the stuff I have written was technical dreck or code that was assembled into one’s and zeros. It was my job.

Now I can write for fun.

Wooden Quill
Author of ill repute.


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## T.S.Bowman (Jun 28, 2014)

Why write??

For the pure joy of it. I could not possibly care less if, somewhere down the line, some overstuffed critic finds "meaning" in my work that I haven't actually put there. I would actually find that pretty doggone funny. Especially since I subscribe to the "Let the story just BE a story" school of thought.


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## Jon M (Jun 28, 2014)

This hostility toward theme & critical interpretation is adorable.


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## T.S.Bowman (Jun 28, 2014)

Jon M said:


> This hostility toward theme & critical interpretation is adorable.



Theme? Here's the theme of my novel. Kill bad guy...don't get killed in the process. 

Critics are critics. Whether or not they like my work is irrelevant to me. If the readers like it, that's all that matters. Failing that, as long as I can take pride in what I have written, that's good enough for me.


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## blazeofglory (Jun 28, 2014)

Why write? Why not to write? And if I do not write I would be just chatting with someone or indulge in alcoholic moments nonsensically and meaninglessly. I write to set order in the disorderliness of my existence with the rest of people. Or the next best choice is womanizing or having sex with someone I will hate once the act is over or take part in gambling risking my reputation, wealth and status. I had to earn through decades of hardwork, discipline. 
Writing has given me a direction or a way or destiny or something i always aspire to  or something that underpins my existence and status or dignity or orderliness in this pandemoniac world.Or values in life is what writing always gives me. Or else I would have lived like a vagabond.

Writing connects me and makes me feel I am at one with the rest of you. I can enter your mind and churn it and in a while I can mutate you to behave differently or metaphorically like a character in  the Metamorphosis of Kafka. It enables me to envision something I would haven never imagined or it helps me to journey to a world that is different from a world of everyday routine.


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## Pluralized (Jun 28, 2014)

Hi, woodenquill -- welcome to WF. Dig your nihilistic outlook.  You'll be a nice addition to the site, if you stick around. Feel free to check out the Prose Workshop, where you can find pages upon pages of the forum's best stuff. Writing is fun.


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## Pandora (Jun 28, 2014)

woodenquill, yes for fun, that say's it all. Welcome to WF, enjoy!


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## qwertyportne (Jun 28, 2014)

Welcome to the forum. Good question. And lots of good answers. Yes, for the pure enjoyment of putting words to thoughts and feelings ~ with or without an audience. The journey is often more rewarding than the destination. 

Another of my reasons is to get my thoughts and feelings out in the open where I can make better sense of things inside myself and outside in the world around me. "I don't know what I think or how I feel", said Flannery O'Conner, "until I see what I say." And Robert Russell seems to agree that, "Every clear sentence I write removes more under growth of confusion from my mind."

Ray Bradbury put his finger on this hunger to get what's inside outside: “How long has it been since you wrote a story where your real love, hate, prejudice and passion slammed the page like a lightning bolt? What are the worst and best things in your life? When are you going to writing them?"

Here's a few more ways to look at why writers write:

"Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout with some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand." ~George Orwell

“Stories live in your bones and blood; they ride the wind, follow the seasons and light candles on the darkest nights--every storyteller knows he or she is also a teacher.”   – Patti Davis

“Trying to communicate with people on a daily basis, in an ordinary way, feels like trying to put an ocean through a straw. So I sing.” – Bjork, a singer from Iceland, who reminded me why I write.

"Good writing causes your reader to feel something—not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." ~ E.L. Doctorow

"You write because you’ve got something to say, not because you want to say something." ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Artists possess abnormally sensitive minds with the over powering need to create something of meaning. To them a touch is a blow, a misfortune is a tragedy, joy is ecstasy and failure is death. Without a playing field for their creativity--music, poetry, paintings or books--their very breath is cut off." ~Pearl Buck


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## Nickleby (Jun 28, 2014)

Why write indeed. I believe fiction is like humor. You laugh at a joke or you don't. If someone has to explain it to you, or if you feel that reading is an academic chore, then you won't get it. Ever. By the same token, some people are born to find the humor in every situation, and they laugh at things others wouldn't. I'm not going to stop writing because someone else can't see the point. I have things to say. People can refuse to listen or fail to understand, but that doesn't change my wish to say them. I want to change the world with my words. I want to make people think the way I think. Call me crazy, but I believe in my message.

What was the question? Welcome to Writing Forums. As long as you're polite and willing to reciprocate, we'll be happy to critique your stuff. Or help you waste the time that you could use to write stuff.


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## Plasticweld (Jun 28, 2014)

* "You write because you’ve got something to say, not because you want to say something." ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

*I wish more writers would understand this!  I also ask myself the question, why did they write that? 

Sounds like you have some stories to tell, looking forward to seeing a little of your more of your sarcasm in print, if that does not work I will give you my cell number after all "Why Write?"  I have un-limited minutes on my phone.

Welcome to the forum


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## woodenquill (Jun 30, 2014)

Thanks for the welcome.
I guess I have the bases covered.
Writing is fun and I do have something to say.
Whether anyone “Gets it” is up to them.

Wooden Quill
Author of ill repute.


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## count58 (Jun 30, 2014)

Hi there!

Why write? That's basically a question you need to explain not just a writer but on your regular thing.

You write because you have to take down important notes especially when in school, at work, or even at home.

You learn to write - that’s basic! But if you are a writer, you would want to tell stories that many readers will want to read. It begins with research like knowing certain facts about your topic. Then you write what you think and what is in your heart.

It can be long … it can be short. Choose whatever you wish to write.

For me, I write because it is a passion, and I have always wanted to write. It’s a way of expressing myself about things I want to portray or relay. I may not be good in public speaking, but I know I write well because it is fun, and many read my blogs. I just know it!

This is probably one reason why I write this comment

Many thanks!


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## escorial (Jun 30, 2014)

why!!!..if only the answer was universal.


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## aliveatnight (Jul 1, 2014)

It's a fun way to express myself. It also helps me clear my mind and sort out all the clutter. That is why I write. Because I feel like I need to do it. Not for anyone else, just for my own enjoyment.


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## aj47 (Jul 2, 2014)

I've heard it said that ill-repute is better than no repute.

Welcome.  I've had a baseball poem of mine taught in a classroom.  But it was more about structure than content, as it was rhymed and metric.

And, even on fora, I've had Deep Meanings read into what I write.  So I'm there with you.


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## Elvenswordsman (Jul 23, 2014)

I write because I can. It feeds my narcissism, as I am better than the beast that beholds me.


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