Why I Write ...

 

    There have been many, many days when I've asked myself why I write. I always get a chuckle out of the fictional authors in books and movies who seem to have fame and fortune simply by submitting their manuscript and then the money just rolls in. While there may be some authors out there who have this kind of blessed luck, I haven't met one. The truth is, being an author is work. Hard work. It can be an isolated and lonely job, with a market that constantly changes and a never-ending stream of competitors to compare oneself with ... not to mention characters in your head that won't shut up, and the occasional review that makes you ugly cry and wonder why you ever thought you could write a book in the first place.

    So, with these disheartening factors in mind, what sane person would ever decide to become an author? I can't answer this for every author, of course, but many of my author friends whom I've discussed this with have had similar answers---we simply can't NOT write. Trust me, I've tried to quit more than once. But when the stories are in you, you can't keep them inside or you'll slowly go insane. Writing is therapy. It's a medium unlike any other when you create a world you want to visit or characters who become close friends. There is nothing quite like a writer's high when you hit flow and the words pour out, creating a magical or sigh-worthy scene. 

    That's why I write.

    Any aspiring or already-authors out there know what I'm talking about? It's almost hard to explain, but if you get it, you get it. Keep writing those words, friends. Books are one of life's greatest blessings, and I'm a believer that everyone has a story to tell.