Why Do You Write?

Why?

Why sit in front of a computer, eschewing human contact, consuming coffee, and making up stories in your head to type into an electronic file?

Why do you write?

You're probably not going to get rich.  Chances are you're not one of the lucky few who make it big with indie publishing.  Chances are you're not going to sign with a major publishing house and have a million selling book that gets picked up for a movie and the movie is a huge hit and causes even more book sales and the movie starts Jennifer Lawrence who gives you a big hug at the premier party.  Probably not going to happen.

So why do you write?

I've been writing since I was twelve years old.  I'm now 53.  You do the math.  Why do I write?  Because I cannot not write.  Even when I was spending 50 - 60 hours a week in the corporate world, I spent an hour or two writing nearly every day.  As I read it described, there are things in my head that demand being written.  I write because I love it.

Why do you write?  Why motivates you?  If it's fame and fortune, good luck.  I hope you write because, like me, you have to.  I hope you write for the love of it.  I hope you write because there are ideas bursting from your head that demand to be written.  Yes, it's great when you make some money.  It's wonderful to have strangers read your books.  It's lovely to get great reviews.  None of that should motivate you.  You should be writing because you love to write, need to write, crave to write.

It's true, I would still be writing even if I'd never sold a book.  I write for the love of the craft.

Why do you write?