Why Write?

People often ask me why I write. I must admit that I'm not one of those writerly types who claim their lives are not complete unless they put pen to paper, who swear they must write every day or die. Not to disparage their need (in fact, I wish I shared it!), but I am completely unable to relate to it. I don't write because I couldn't not write; in fact (I suppose I shouldn't admit this) many days can pass before guilt drags me back to the computer. Writing is, usually, a very painful process for me. I agonize over every word, analyze every image, ponder every plot point; words never flow from my pen, but grind their way out like kidney stones. Writing is not an activity I'm particularly eager to undertake each morning.

Then why do I do it?

The easy answer is one that probably motivates many writers: I write because I read. I can't imagine not writing because I can't imagine not reading. I've read voraciously ever since I was a child; I loved reading so much I pursued it as a career and earned myself a doctorate in literature. I have enjoyed the works and imaginations of so many authors, I feel compelled, in a sense, to make my own contribution to the world of books. If just one reader gets caught up in my book, reads it eagerly and closes it with regret at the end, I will feel as though I have succeeded. Providing the thrill of good read for just one reader will make all the wincing and straining worthwhile.

The second reason I write? For the challenge. As a student of literature, I spent my time reading and dissecting books, taking them apart and discovering how they worked. That all changed the day my husband asked me, "Don't you get tired of talking about what other people wrote? Why don't you write the books other people talk about?" He threw down the gauntlet; how, as a good wife, could I not pick it up? {wink} His words were the impetus I needed to turn the niggling thought--"Could I do this, too?"--into a reality--"I did it!" And I have to say I found writing a novel much more difficult and infinitely more fulfilling than writing my dissertation. It was a thrill and a challenge to move from analyst to artist, to utilize what I'd learned to create a cohesive and (hopefully) engaging novel of my own. And the challenge has only intensified since I finished the first book. Now that I've written one novel,  I'll have to write an even better one. I'm sure that with each book I will find new ways to push myself, new heights to reach for. It's this desire to challenge myself, to create something out of nothing and do it as successfully as I can at this specific moment in time, that propels me to the desk each day. That, and the desire to show my husband what I can do!

So, if you are a writer, why do you write? I'd love to hear what motivates you. If you are a reader, do you ever think you'll try your hand at fiction?