# Why do you write?



## Cyyto (Dec 6, 2011)

I imagine this has been asked before, but I'm not just talking about personal reasons.  What practical purpose does your writing have?  Do you entertain others?  Do you teach?  Do you inform?  Does it make you money?  What does your writing accomplish?


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## Jon M (Dec 6, 2011)

Writing helps me think and remember. And it takes the edge off real life. That's all the practicality I need.


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## Tiamat (Dec 6, 2011)

I entertain myself.  Sometimes it earns me money, but that's not why I do it.  I'm not being noble.  If it ever earns me enough money to quit my sucky job, that might become the reason I do it.  Or at least part of it.  Either way, self-entertainment is good enough.


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## Gamer_2k4 (Dec 7, 2011)

Writing gives form to the sea of thoughts that go through my mind.  But more than that, it helps me understand myself.  As I write more and more of my story, I'm stunned to see how much of myself is in it.  The way my characters act gives me insight into my own motivations and personality, and that's simply invaluable.


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## Robdemanc (Dec 7, 2011)

I write because I love the way it takes me on an imaginary journey and things seem to come out of nowhere as I write.  But also I like to string sentences together and spent many years writing in my jobs and when I was a student I was suprised at how much I enjoyed writing essays and reports.   It also distracts me from a lot of crap in my life and allows me to channel my anger at some things, and forget bad times.   And I love my characters.


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## felix (Dec 7, 2011)

For the babes, of course. 


I write because I have to. Yeah, that's a cringe-worthy authorish sentence, but that's just how it is. 
Perhaps it's not the act of writing itself, but I think that it's fair to say that I'm a storyteller, at least in some minuscule, pathetic, fetal form.


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## archer88iv (Dec 14, 2011)

Because one of these days it's going to make me rich.


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## rane (Dec 14, 2011)

Not sure.  Guess I have to...can't afford film, actors, etc.


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## dale (Dec 14, 2011)

because i'm narcissistic and like to show off in front of myself.


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## j.w.olson (Dec 14, 2011)

Narcissism, elitism, giving people ideas about the meaning and purpose of life, self-discovery, bragging rights, etc. I'm an english literature/composition teacher, too, so writing helps me learn more about the subject I teach. Also, it's a more fun and meaningful pass-time to me than playing video games or watching tv. And it makes me smarter and helps me organize my mind.

You asked for practical reasons rather than personal reasons, but I would argue that it's mostly a selfish endeavor. Nonetheless, I would also argue that even narcissism and elitism have some practicality in that they engender some amount of pride and self-confidence -- thus making one a little better at life.

Fame and fortune -- sure, fantasies are fun, but I'm far too practical to rest weight on such flights.


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## mritt400 (Dec 14, 2011)

These are good questions.  

As for myself, I'm not really sure why I write (or try to write).  My compulsion to write seems to exist maddeningly independent of my common sense.  As far as practical purposes, I'm not sure there are any _practical_ purposes - unless you're writing some sort of international treaty, or maybe, nutrition information on food packaging or something.  I am still trying to figure this all out myself, so I'm your grain of salt.


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## Man From Mars (Dec 15, 2011)

I write because I like the stories in my head and I want to express them in some form. I have no talent to draw and no money to make films, so I took the cheapest and most available route - writing.


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## Sunny (Dec 15, 2011)

Because, I can't not write. I have too much going on in my head, I need to do something with it! :0)


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## Kyle R (Dec 15, 2011)

I write because I find the relationship between the writer and the reader to be nothing short of amazing.

Just think about it: you have an idea, an electrical spark in your brain. You form it into words and place those words onto a sheet of paper. Then you show that paper to another human being. And what happens? The process reverses itself. Your words get lifted off the page and sucked into the brain of the reader, registered as an electrical spark, which then bursts, like fireworks, in the reader's mind: he now experiences your idea as his own.

Oh yeah... and it'd also be great to be published. : )


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## JosephB (Dec 15, 2011)

I may care about what someone writes -- I really don't care why.


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## Loulou (Dec 15, 2011)

I write to find out what happens.


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## beanlord56 (Dec 15, 2011)

My imagination is too active to not write. I can escape to my own worlds and hand paint them as I go. And aside from video games, annoying people, and useless trivia, it's the only thing I'm good at aside from playing bass. I don't want to be in a serious band; I'm content playing occasionally Sunday mornings.


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## Othello (Dec 15, 2011)

I wish I had some quantifiable reason like some of the reasons that have been noted, but I don't. I just write, and enjoy doing it. I've been writing since the age of nine, not for anything or for anyone specifically, it's more of an impulse and an ability that I've exploited for writing college assignments and love letters to women - Oh when love failsssss we stumble ever so clumsily.

Certainly it would be amazing to make some sort of living at applying one's gifts but that isn't the point to me, it's getting the words out. Which, at times, feel like living sentient beings that are trying to claw their way into daylight with bluster and a pitiless hunger. And boy do they bully their way onto my lips once they come. They flow from there so wild, freed, and their chains smashing around, (rattle) (rattle) (rattle) ugh...

Ah.... But I ramble and somewhere between all of that is a most natural answer, I just can, I just can....


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## JosephB (Dec 15, 2011)

Othello said:


> I wish I had some quantifiable reason like some of the reasons that have been noted, but I don't.



Best answer ever.


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## Othello (Dec 16, 2011)

Thanks for the response Joseph. I was a little intimidated about answering this question given that I didn't and don't have a pat answer handy. I mean, we all have our reasons and since every life deserves validation, that's good enough for me, I just realized some time ago that I have none.


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## garza (Dec 16, 2011)

I write because when I was very young my grandfather told me to find something I enjoyed doing that would provide a decent living and I would never have to work. So I became a writer. From the age of 14 till now at age 71 I've never had to work, never had to go look for a job. Just putting one word after another, and taking a few pictures along the way to illustrate the story, has paid the rent and bought the groceries for more than half a century. Granfa was right. 

Apologies to those who believe writing itself is work.


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## doghouse reilly (Dec 16, 2011)

I write because words and thoughts come to me at all hours, even in sleep, and the follow me around, bugging me like tunes i can't get out of my head and the only way to get rid of them is to write them down.  

doghouse reilly


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## JosephB (Dec 16, 2011)

Othello said:


> Thanks for the response Joseph. I was a little intimidated about answering this question given that I didn't and don't have a pat answer handy. I mean, we all have our reasons and since every life deserves validation, that's good enough for me, I just realized some time ago that I have none.



I was being a little tongue and cheek -- more as a reaction to the somewhat trite answers you see in these threads. Truth is, I care about why I write, but I really don't care why anyone else writes -- unless I've read his or her work and I've gotten something out of it. Then I might care just a little. Maybe. I suspect that most people's motivations are more or less the same anyway. For me, it's the end result that matters most. It's all about the writing.


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## Othello (Dec 16, 2011)

Hello again Joseph, I suppose I'm a little nervous about my posts as I'm new to this forum and such. Most of the forums I join have absolutely nothing to do with writing, and usually the members are a bit rough with each other, with very little decent moderation. Hell, I moderated a site with several hundred thousand members for years and what a pain that was. Dealing with children/immature posters and the like almost drove me insane. Anyway... Writing has been a very sensitive subject for me and it's taken a tremendous amount of courage to go even this far.

My answer wasn't meant to trivialize the answers of the previous posters, on the contrary, if anything someone that has a quantifiable answer can see more clarity and purpose to their abilities, whilst mine are "naturally occurring" and have been with me so long they've lost their meaning in some ways. Maybe that wouldn't be the case if I had been encouraged instead of being made to feel like some sort of freak by my mother. But I understand now, she just didn't know what to do with a child that wrote as I did and at such a young age. My mother is a very simple woman and religious woman, anything outside of her norm terrifies her.

As for me, I'd say I care about why others write because self-expression is fundamental to the human condition and it's wellness. This "self-expression" may not make me any money and I may not understand why others do what they do but I'm thankful they can ply their trade in whatever manner is conducive to creativity. Humans seem to be generally happier people when they can express themselves, even if it's badly. Statistically speaking, we'll eventually get something that's useful to the human race, perhaps even lasting.

I too care about the "end result" but "daring to begin" matters more.


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## helium (Dec 16, 2011)

Because it is enjoyable and free!


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## Kayt (Dec 16, 2011)

I don't know why people write. I suppose it's because they can, although I sometimes want to but have a mental block. I also lack confidence so always think that others would never want to read what I say. I used to write narratives to  my mum and she always got a lot of pleasure from reading my accounts of events.I think that we all have a book in us somewhere its just getting it out can prove to be more difficult for some than others.


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## The Jaded (Dec 17, 2011)

Sunny said:


> Because, I can't not write. I have too much going  on in my head, I need to do something with it! :0)



I am something like that as well, only with a punishment tacked on - if I don't write, I slowly get crazier and crazier until I do. If you want to know what it feels like, try not sleeping for four days, it's sort of the same.

I am convinced that the reason for this is that there is a divine plan that involves me as a writer, because I have always been like this. I have a pile of notebooks in a box from my childhood into which, rather than class notes, I wrote stories, some of which I have adapted to more recent pieces. I can't recall a day of my life that I haven't devoted at least some thought to a fiction which started out in my head. To turn my back on my gifts is to work against that plan, and it's no wonder that when I do it slowly chips away at my sanity.


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## Sunny (Dec 17, 2011)

The Jaded said:


> I am something like that as well, only with a punishment tacked on - if I don't write, I slowly get crazier and crazier until I do. If you want to know what it feels like, try not sleeping for four days, it's sort of the same.


Believe me I know the feeling of going crazy from lack of sleep. It seems I've developed insomnia somewhere over the past 3 or 4 months, and I feel utterly wasted from it sometimes. I know I'm tired, my eyes burn and water, yet I can't sleep. So what do I do? I write! 2, 3, or 4 hours of sleep/night for months on end, really is hard. You'd think I'd have a million and ten stories thought up by now! :0)


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## AmethystBritney (Dec 19, 2011)

I write to get these characters out of my head so they can leave me alone and stop nagging while I sleep, because any time I am not doing anything critical, like a house chore, or helping someone with something, in other words, every time I am not busy, they nag at me again and I see them doing those things like it's an endless movie, and I just have to write it down. Otherwise the scenes repeat in my head until I finally write them down either on the word processor or in pen and paper. I've been dreaming about the same scene for three days straight. These characters really want to get that chore done.


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## Bilston Blue (Dec 20, 2011)

I really don't know why I write. It may be because I like words and enjoy putting them together to see what comes out in the end. Also, I cling to the hope I might be good at this thing and gain the respect of people who get enjoyment from my stuff. Vanity. Vanity is all. And intellectual snobbery might rear its verminous little head, too, which isn't a good thing but sometimes the truth is s**t. I think the truth, however, is that it is something I have done for many years and it's just a part of my life, a very normal thing to do.


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## Anders Ämting (Dec 21, 2011)

I write, primarily, because I want to entertain people, thus winning their respect and admiration and possible also some of their money.

I also write because writing is one of the few ways that I as a human can create something truly great by my own power - to bring something marvelous into a world that can always use more marvels.


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