Why do writers write?

My friends and others sometimes ask me why I write this blog, a good question and one that has no easy answer. The easy answer is that I am writing for my grandson, and my children, so they can learn more about my outlook on life. There are more complex answers and so I turned to the experts for some reasons as to why writers write.

The question of why writers write holds especial mesmerism, both as a piece of psychological voyeurism and as a beacon of self-conscious hope that if we got a glimpse of the innermost drivers of greats, maybe, just maybe, we might be able to replicate the workings of genius in our own work. So why do writers write? 

George Orwell itemized four universal motives which are  Sheer egoism,  (Desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death, to get your own back on the grown-ups who snubbed you in childhood, etc., etc. It is humbug to pretend this is not a motive, and a strong one.)  Aesthetic enthusiasm, (Pleasure in the impact of one sound on another, in the firmness of good prose or the rhythm of a good story.),  Historical impulse. (Desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity),  Political purpose (Desire to push the world in a certain direction, to alter other peoples’ idea of the kind of society that they should strive after)

Joan Didion saw it as access to her own mind and said in part: "In many ways writing is the act of saying I, of imposing oneself upon other people, of saying listen to me, see it my way, change your mind. It’s an aggressive, even a hostile act. You can disguise its qualifiers and tentative subjunctives, with ellipses and evasions — with the whole manner of intimating rather than claiming, of alluding rather than stating — but there’s no getting around the fact that setting words on paper is the tactic of a secret bully, an invasion, an imposition of the writer’s sensibility on the reader’s most private space"

For David Foster Wallace, it was about fun. He said, "In the beginning, when you first start out trying to write fiction, the whole endeavor’s about fun. You don’t expect anybody else to read it. You’re writing almost wholly to get yourself off. To enable your own fantasies and deviant logic and to escape or transform parts of yourself you don’t like. And it works – and it’s terrific fun. "

Joy Williams found in it a gateway from the darkness to the light. She said, "It’s become fashionable these days to say that the writer writes because he is not whole, he has a wound, he writes to heal it, but who cares if the writer is not whole, of course the writer is not whole, or even particularly well."

For Charles Bukowski, it sprang from the soul like a rocket. He said, "if it doesn’t come bursting out of you in spite of everything, don’t do it. unless it comes unasked out of your heart and your mind and your mouth and your gut,  don’t do it. if you have to sit for hours staring at your computer screen or hunched over your typewriter searching for words, don’t do it.

Italo Calvino found in writing the comfort of belonging to a collective enterprise, "To write well about the elegant world you have to know it and experience it to the depths of your being just as Proust, Radiguet and Fitzgerald did: what matters is not whether you love it or hate it, but only to be quite clear about your position regarding it."

So for those who read this, the answer for me is  I write for fun.  I write and never expect anyone to read my writing except for members of my family and that  I thought would be under duress. I hope what I write works for you, but all I know is that I am having a ball writing and will continue until it is no longer fun.

Write or not write

Thanks to Gayle for this advice on the question

Anybody have hints for finishing strong?

The best advice I ever got was from Ted Sturgeon. He told me there  are Writers and there are Architects.

A Writer creates his characters from birth to when they enter the  story, opens the portal to their universe, pushes them though, follows them around and types what he sees them do. He never thinks about the story. He only types what he sees.

An Architect maps everything out, knows exactly what will happen at the end and then begins to write, forcing the characters down a pre-determined path. Not only do the characters end up acting "out of character" but it is boring.

A real Writer will loose interest once he sees what will happen and never write it. Thus one must never think about the story if one is nottyping.

Writing

One common element whenever human beings gather is the need to talk and share experiences. Often that need turns into something a little more fun, a little more dangerous -- gossip. Gossip is often fun but it can also be dangerous because it spreads quickly (because it is fun) and often distorts or even completely avoids the truth. Gossip creates myths in many fields and professions, and the field of writing is especially prone.

The top five myths about writing are:

Myth 1: Writing is easy for some people. Let me tell you that is just about the biggest myth going.  I don't know a writer that will tell you that writing is easy. Writing is brutal, hard work and there are times when I think it would be easier to simply open a vein as Red Smith said. However experience and practice can make many writing tasks easier.

Myth 2: Writing requires talent. I won't lie. Talent can certainly help and talent is what separates the great writers from the good writers. But the truth is that talent is not enough to make a writer great or even good and talent is not a necessary requirement to be a good writer. Writing is a skill that can be learned, developed and honed. If you practice your craft, if you read the writing of others to learn more about your craft, and if you seek and accept guidance and suggestions about your writing then you will improve and grow as a writer. Dedication harnessed with talent can create amazing results but if I had to pick just one then I would go with dedication. You can always increase your skill level through dedication.

Myth 3: Writing isn't a useful skill. There simply isn't a profession that does not involve writing. Perhaps the form will vary, but written communication is the cornerstone in every professional field. Your writing ability will often impact landing a job as well as advancing in your career. Today written communication is even more crucial in professional and personal relationships.

Myth 4: You can't make a living as a writer. Not only can you make a living as a writer but writing is an essential tool for many other careers and professions.

Myth 5: Writers block is alive and torturing writers as you read this. I'm not dismissing the difficulties inherent in dealing with writers block but whenever I talk with writers purportedly suffering from it they fall within two general groups. The first group actually creates their own block by insisting on the perfect place, mood, or alignment of planets in order to write. This is beyond ridiculous. Deadlines will teach anyone how to give writers block short shrift.

The second group I have more sympathy for as their problem really is internal in nature. Usually the problem is that the particular story (whether fiction or nonfiction) they want to tell is not yet finished cooking in their brain. In this case, while the writing may be stalled I don't agree that it is blocked. The writer must listen to that inner voice and respond appropriately. Sometimes the idea needs more time to percolate and sometimes more research and/or planning is necessary. Once the proper adjustments are made the writing will begin to flow again.

Don't let your writing fall victim to these five myths about writing.

Writers Block

As a writer, I struggle with writers block and part of that struggle is the internal battle over inspiration and self criticism (*My Muse). Sometimes inspiration wins only to be overtaken by the critical analysis of the writing. This internal battle is one that I suspect many writers have and if you have ever had writers block, and struggled with the two demons of inspiration and self criticism the tale below could be familiar as you struggle with which will win (inspiration or the self critical muse)  the ongoing battle.

Last night, in the dark following midnight I killed off my muse (suffocating her quietly with a pillow) and buried her in my back garden. Today I will plant a roses to hide the grave. No one will ever know and I will be free at last of her insidious hold and I will be able to write what I want.

Why did I resort to this deed? After all my muse was lovely and gave me many gifts over the years. She saw me through dark times and helped mark the joyous ones. Many times she inspired me to reach for more and push myself beyond what I thought I could achieve. Knowing all this why would I kill the very source of my inspiration?

Oh, I had my reasons...

It started out quietly. As I would sit at my keyboard, she would perch on my shoulder as was her wont to do. "I don't think you meant to write that sentence," she would whisper in my ear. "That doesn't sound like the best description," she would snipe. "Is that the best you can do?" she would sneer.

I took to sneaking my writing in when I knew she was occupied elsewhere. She never could resist critiquing the writing in the morning paper if it was left spread on the kitchen table. That way I could sometimes write several pages before she began her commentary. "Surely you can find a better way to approach this topic," her mocking voice would interrupt. "That has been so done."

Soon I was spending more time arguing with her, defending my words, than I was writing. Then my production slowed to a crawl as I would over analyze each word choice and sentence formation before committing it to screen or paper. All that did was give her more time to find fault with the few words I did write.

I started avoiding the computer and all writing materials. I read for hours on end. I made plans for a new garden. The need the write built within me but always my muse was watching me with those eyes -- so judgmental, so critical. I would turn away from my deb with a sigh and find some other project.

When I could no longer suppress the urge to write I locked her in a closet and had a wonderfully productive morning. I was so happy with my work that I let her out as I went out the door to run some errands. That just made her mean.

She was waiting for me at the door when I came home. Her glasses had slid nearly to the tip of her nose and somehow she'd found a red pencil (I certainly never brought any such thing into the house). I shuddered at the sight of my happy morning's labor marred by vicious slashes of red. The red blurred before my eyes into a crimson haze and then...

Perhaps it is better that you don't know the details. Suffice it to say that I have selected several old-fashioned roses with luscious aroma and delicate coloring. I am sure they will provide both inspiration and comfort.

Despite my late hours and the physical toil involved, this morning I awoke early and have already logged in several hours at the keyboard. My fingers flew across the keys and after completing several long-stagnant projects I outlined notes for some new. Writing is joyful and rewarding again.

I have dedicated this post to the memory of my muse. Perhaps it will serve as a warning to those other muses out there who are on the verge of going over the edge. Perhaps it will inspire those other writers out there who have let their muse stifle their creativity and shove them right into writer's block. Maybe my warning will mean those other muses and their writers will find a way to work things out.