You ever write anything and realize, after spending a fair amount of time on it, that it's total garbage? I did that tonight. I wrote a long blog entry about my motivations for writing. I then read it and realized that if I were reading someone else's blog I would think the writer was a complete jerk. "Pretentious crap" is the name of the discard file I put that particular piece of garbage into.
So what are my motivations for writing? To be able to communicate with others on a level that affects them emotionally is my number one reason. I love to tell stories that cause people to feel something. It usually means you're connecting with them. I also enjoy reading books that cause me to have an emotional response, joy, sadness, etc. I think that all this points to a basic human need, connection to other people.
To create is another. To create a story from nothing is a difficult thing; I know, I'm in the process of doing it. To create a good story from nothing that then gets you all sorts of positive feedback, attaboys and woot woots (where did that expression come from?) is probably close to a miracle. I'm aiming for the miracle. I'm mentioning that in case I haven't been clear on the issue.
Being able to earn my living as a writer would be a pretty good thing also. I have no illusions that a writing life would be any simpler or easier than any other kind of life. Writing is just as difficult a way to earn a living as anything else you choose to do. In my case though I seem to have some talent for it and it's what I want to do so I'm going for it.
So those are some of my reasons for writing. I'm sure if you asked a hundred other writers to explain why they write you'ld get a hundred different answers. In fact there are probably as many reasons for writing as there are writers...that comment was pretty zen wasn't it? Bill, the master of insightful writing.
That's all I've got for tonight. More tomorrow.
Bill Browning, writing from Starbucks/Ansley Mall. Tuesday, 13 April 2010.
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"...if I were reading someone else's blog I would think the writer was a complete jerk."
ReplyDeleteNot always. You are a writer critiquing a writer and those opinions are many times more harsh. For those who will never write a manuscript in this lifetime, your writings can be an inspiration. Thank you for blogging and especially for noting where you're writing from. Starbucks can be quite an inspirational place to create!
Abby, thanks for the kind words.
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