Why to Write

Why do you write?

Sometimes, when things aren’t going the way you want, it gets hard to remember why it is that you started writing in the first place. When you can’t figure out an ending to your story, or why this character did that, or how to get that sentence to say whatever it is that you want to say, it makes you want to throw your computer out the window, or crumple up that piece of paper and throw it in the trash.

Because you want to get it down, get it out, get it written on paper in black and white so that it’s not all swimming around in your head in crazy circles that don’t make any sense. It’s eating you up inside, driving you insane, and you can’t think about anything else except sorting your thoughts out in words you can see in front of you.

But sometimes, whatever it is that’s inside you, absolutely refuses to be let out, to be organized in a way that makes sense so it’s not messing with your head anymore.

These feelings, thoughts, ideas, stories, questions, answers… whatever it is… sometimes they will not cooperate. They will not do what they’re told!

Why can’t it be easy all the time the way it sometimes is? Why can’t it always be that magic of the words flowing out of your fingers like freedom? Why does it have to get hard? Until you feel like it’s forced?

Why does writing sometimes make you hate it? Why does the page make you want to burn it? Why does the story make you want to take scissors to it? Why? Why why why? Why does this passion, this love, this consuming desire, make you loathe it? Make you never want to run away and never come back to it again?

Because it wants you to fight! It wants you to struggle! It wants you to hate it and love it and hate it again, until you finally remember why you loved it in the first place. Writing does not want you to forget why you started in the first place.

So hate it. Love it. Hate it again.

Run away, and come running back.

And remember, why you do it, why you are drawn to the page.

Remember why you are a writer.