‘Ello, everyone! In case you missed it, last week I talked about why I read books, part one of two posts (this being the second part, of course!) Soooo in this post, I’m making a list of why I WRITE books. (YOLO, right??!) 😀 I mean, what makes a person decide to pound out 60,000 words for fun? If you’ve ever wondered, or even if you know why, I think you’ll like my list. Oh, and I’d love to hear your thoughts! Let me know if you have anything to add to the list.
#1: Dump your problems on someone else, for a change!
I’ve found that giving my problems to little people in my head actually helps me to see things in a new light. Even if you’ve never written before, and don’t plan on sharing any of your writings with anyone else, when you’re done, it feels… refreshing.
Writing down your feelings is good, too, but when I make up characters for a story that’s all going to fit together, I have to think about what each person is feeling, and how the story is going to end based on what decisions the characters choose, what they’re thinking. Because I base my stories on real life experiences, when I think about how others feel, it gives me a better sense of empathy.
#2: Express your views and opinions without missing a beat! Be the heroine of your story.
Do you ever stand in front of a mirror and talk to yourself, pretending to tell that person off (bully, nuisance, acquaintance), with a thousand comebacks that you never thought of in the moment? I do! I love writing because I get to be the heroine of my story! I get to save the day. I get to pound that bully to the ground. Sometimes my main character is the one in the wrong, but they always end up on top. Your story gets to go the way you want it to. No one else can tell you how to write it.
#3: Writing helps talking.
That sounds weird, right? Let me explain. In order to write, I have to gather my thoughts together in a way that everything will make sense and be orderly, so others can read it. When it comes to my creative, for-fun writing, I’m a total panster. (In other words, I get an idea, I write as I go along, BOOM.) But at some point or another, I have to decide what things are important to the story, and which things need to go. So what I means by “writing helps talking” – because I’ve spent all this time thinking through what exactly needs to be said in my story, when I’m having a conversation with someone, I tend to think through what I say quicker and more efficiently, and I can get my words out more eloquently. Of course, I still get tongue-tied, and either stick my foot in my mouth or don’t say something I need to say, but that’s just Emily. 😉
#4: No one’s writing is the same.
We all have different voices, opinions, characters, story lines. Everything about your story is your own. Sure, they may be the same genre/story line/rather cliche characters, but it’s YOURS. Own it!
#5: Capture the feeling.
I have plenty of memories where I remember how I felt, but I don’t feel it anymore. When I read or write a book, the character’s emotions or feelings become my own. I can feel what the character is feeling. It’s incredible, really. Like I keep saying, even if you’ve never written a word before, you have the power to make someone feel something from your book. Not just learn a lesson (although those are plenty important, too!), but feel and grasp what the character (or the author), is feeling. It’s an amazing part of reading/writing a book, and it’s way under appreciated!
#6: Make up stuff!
We make up stuff in our heads all the time! Let me tell something. My cousins and I could star in a soap opera. When we were younger, we’d play “house” or “olden days” (we would pretend we were pioneers settling on new land). We would be “college girls” or “doctors.” We played a dozen “games” together, making stuff up! We have such a wild imagination! Those games we played would make for really dramatic novels, or really silly children’s books. (Somewhere in between.) 😉
When I write, all of those experiences and ideas blend together to make the coolest, most exciting, intense story. I always hated it when those games I played with my friends had to end. But when I write a story, it never has to end! (Well, it does at some point, but you know.) I can continue making up stories as I go along. I’m always jotting down ideas in my little notebook I carry with me. The fun never stops!
#7: It’s educational!
I know, I know – “education” sometimes sucks the fun out of everything. But it doesn’t have to with writing. (At least creative writing.) This is the thing that makes my parents and teachers happy. Even though I write for fun, I still want to my writing to be good. I’ll find myself searching for synonyms for words, or a word will pop into my head and I’ll have forgotten what it means, and I have to look it up. Reading expands the mind, but so does writing!
So that’s all I’ve got for this post! Can I just say that I didn’t even realize I had so many great (if I do say so, myself), reasons I had for writing?! And also, I’d like to add that these reasons can also be for blogging! (Especially #7, whether I mean it to be or not!)
Do you have anything to add? I’d love to hear from you all! Why do YOU write? (and remember #4 when you comment! I love talking to everyone!)