Why I Love to Write
Happy I Love to Write Day! November 15th is recognized as I Love to Write Day and it was created by author John Riddle and the first I Love to Write Day was in 2002. You can read more about it here.
I am definitely one of those people who love to write. I don’t just write one thing, either. I write all kinds of things: Stories, novels, books, songs, articles, essays, poetry and even some plays. I write in a variety of genres, too, which means I’m not exactly a good fit with a literary agent because most literary agents want writers who write in one genre or on one topic. That is certainly not me! I write about anything and everything. There are some things I know I don’t exactly “love to write,” such as advertisements, but there is a lot of things that I do love to write. I also enjoy taking on writing challenges just to flex my writing muscles and put my ability to write to the test. They are also a great way to see if there is something else that I will like to write or something else that I even can write.
In honor of the day, I have decided to write about why I love to write.
I love to write because it is one way for me to be creative. I love being creative, and writing is definitely one method for me to express creativity. This is done when I write fiction, poetry as well as flyers (yes, I have written a few of those).
I love to write because it is one way for me to express my thoughts, ideas and feelings. Usually, I don’t talk too much about things I am thinking about, ideas I have or something I am going through. Being able to write about them helps me to figure things out, work my way through them and help me to understand them better. This is done when I write nonfiction, journal entries, and the occasional poem.
I love to write because it gives me a way to talk about things, especially things I have done or things I am working on. Yes, I know that having a blog does not mean people will automatically read it. I have no expectations in that regard. It’s just a way for me to talk about things and discuss topics. Even if no one responds to any of the things that I “talk” about through my writing, it is still rewarding just to have written about it. Also, this is a good way for me to leave something behind for my kids. If they ever happen to want to read about things from the past or read about something I was a part of, they can find that stuff online. This is done with blog posts, writings posted online, Facebook posts, tweets and what other people share online that I am a part of (like if someone tags me, or something).
I love to write because it gives me a chance to contribute to a cause. My ebook about breast cancer stories and events was put together after I did a blog series for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the proceeds from sales of that ebook goes toward supporting a local charity. My poetry book, Remember the Soldier, was published to honor our brave men and women in uniform. And my children’s book, Hunter’s Upcycling Adventures, was written to push the idea of upcycling, since I did not find many books on this topic (let alone one for kids who are curious about what upcycling is). This is done when I write fiction, nonfiction, poetry and essays.
I love to write because it’s an opportunity to write something special and meaningful for a person. I have written many poems for people, especially poems honoring the life of someone who has passed away. I have written articles about things people have done or something they are going through. And I have collaborated on books on topics important to other people. This is done with poetry, nonfiction, fiction, blog posts and essays.
I love to write because it makes me a better communicator in the written word. They say “the more you write, the better you’ll write” and this is very true because writing is a way for us to sharpen our vocabulary, work with words and figure out the best way to construct sentences. Writing helps us to figure out the best way to say something or to express our ideas and feelings. This is done with every single thing that I write – even Facebook posts and tweets! (I have actually deleted then reposted Facebook posts or tweets because I felt they were not written very well.)
No matter what your reasons may be for your love of writing, enjoy that love of writing as much as you can. Don’t ever allow anyone or anything to keep you from pursuing your passion to write. You have the right to write! No one must give you permission to write; you can write if you want to.
Some of us writers feel that we HAVE to write. There really is no way to keep it all in; when we feel compelled to write, then we will definitely start writing! This is true for my case. Sometimes I just feel the need to write about something. I never write anything to get attention, create conflict or to promote some kind of hate campaign. (Yes, I am choosy with what I decide to write!) I just write because I want to write. If something is good enough to get published, and especially if it can help or inspire or entertain others, then I will certainly try to get it published – if it is good enough for publication, of course! But mostly, I write just because I want to write.
Not everything I write gets published, of course. Some things just need to be written just for the sake of writing it. There is nothing wrong with that! Just because you have written something does not mean you HAVE to get it published. Journal entries, for example, do not need to get published. They just need to be written!
Also, it’s a good idea to focus on writing first before jumping ahead and thinking about selling the piece or getting it published. That will come later. For now, just focus on the writing. Focus on the creating. Focus on making your work the best you can before you get involved in trying to sell it.
Finally, when you sit down to write, don’t heap all of these expectations on yourself to write something AMAZING. You are not obligated to write the next national bestseller, the next amazing short story or a Nobel Prize-winning poem. Just write. Push those expectations aside and allow your muse the freedom to write whatever you want to write. And keep in mind that all first drafts are not meant to be perfect; they are just meant to be written.
The best part about writing is that anyone can write. Young or old, rich or poor, successful or unknown, anyone can write anything that they want to. There is no test to pass, no hoops to jump through, no secret wisdom and no qualifications. As they say, if you can talk, you can write. The only difference is that you are putting the words you say onto paper.
So go ahead and write if you want to. Write for fun and write for profit. Write as a job or as a career. Write because you hope to leave something for your loved ones or write because it’s a fun diversion from everything. You can bring writing into your life in any way you want to and use it in any way you want to. Just write! And enjoy the journey.
I am definitely one of those people who love to write. I don’t just write one thing, either. I write all kinds of things: Stories, novels, books, songs, articles, essays, poetry and even some plays. I write in a variety of genres, too, which means I’m not exactly a good fit with a literary agent because most literary agents want writers who write in one genre or on one topic. That is certainly not me! I write about anything and everything. There are some things I know I don’t exactly “love to write,” such as advertisements, but there is a lot of things that I do love to write. I also enjoy taking on writing challenges just to flex my writing muscles and put my ability to write to the test. They are also a great way to see if there is something else that I will like to write or something else that I even can write.
In honor of the day, I have decided to write about why I love to write.
I love to write because it is one way for me to be creative. I love being creative, and writing is definitely one method for me to express creativity. This is done when I write fiction, poetry as well as flyers (yes, I have written a few of those).
I love to write because it is one way for me to express my thoughts, ideas and feelings. Usually, I don’t talk too much about things I am thinking about, ideas I have or something I am going through. Being able to write about them helps me to figure things out, work my way through them and help me to understand them better. This is done when I write nonfiction, journal entries, and the occasional poem.
I love to write because it gives me a way to talk about things, especially things I have done or things I am working on. Yes, I know that having a blog does not mean people will automatically read it. I have no expectations in that regard. It’s just a way for me to talk about things and discuss topics. Even if no one responds to any of the things that I “talk” about through my writing, it is still rewarding just to have written about it. Also, this is a good way for me to leave something behind for my kids. If they ever happen to want to read about things from the past or read about something I was a part of, they can find that stuff online. This is done with blog posts, writings posted online, Facebook posts, tweets and what other people share online that I am a part of (like if someone tags me, or something).
I love to write because it gives me a chance to contribute to a cause. My ebook about breast cancer stories and events was put together after I did a blog series for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the proceeds from sales of that ebook goes toward supporting a local charity. My poetry book, Remember the Soldier, was published to honor our brave men and women in uniform. And my children’s book, Hunter’s Upcycling Adventures, was written to push the idea of upcycling, since I did not find many books on this topic (let alone one for kids who are curious about what upcycling is). This is done when I write fiction, nonfiction, poetry and essays.
I love to write because it’s an opportunity to write something special and meaningful for a person. I have written many poems for people, especially poems honoring the life of someone who has passed away. I have written articles about things people have done or something they are going through. And I have collaborated on books on topics important to other people. This is done with poetry, nonfiction, fiction, blog posts and essays.
I love to write because it makes me a better communicator in the written word. They say “the more you write, the better you’ll write” and this is very true because writing is a way for us to sharpen our vocabulary, work with words and figure out the best way to construct sentences. Writing helps us to figure out the best way to say something or to express our ideas and feelings. This is done with every single thing that I write – even Facebook posts and tweets! (I have actually deleted then reposted Facebook posts or tweets because I felt they were not written very well.)
No matter what your reasons may be for your love of writing, enjoy that love of writing as much as you can. Don’t ever allow anyone or anything to keep you from pursuing your passion to write. You have the right to write! No one must give you permission to write; you can write if you want to.
Some of us writers feel that we HAVE to write. There really is no way to keep it all in; when we feel compelled to write, then we will definitely start writing! This is true for my case. Sometimes I just feel the need to write about something. I never write anything to get attention, create conflict or to promote some kind of hate campaign. (Yes, I am choosy with what I decide to write!) I just write because I want to write. If something is good enough to get published, and especially if it can help or inspire or entertain others, then I will certainly try to get it published – if it is good enough for publication, of course! But mostly, I write just because I want to write.
Not everything I write gets published, of course. Some things just need to be written just for the sake of writing it. There is nothing wrong with that! Just because you have written something does not mean you HAVE to get it published. Journal entries, for example, do not need to get published. They just need to be written!
Also, it’s a good idea to focus on writing first before jumping ahead and thinking about selling the piece or getting it published. That will come later. For now, just focus on the writing. Focus on the creating. Focus on making your work the best you can before you get involved in trying to sell it.
Finally, when you sit down to write, don’t heap all of these expectations on yourself to write something AMAZING. You are not obligated to write the next national bestseller, the next amazing short story or a Nobel Prize-winning poem. Just write. Push those expectations aside and allow your muse the freedom to write whatever you want to write. And keep in mind that all first drafts are not meant to be perfect; they are just meant to be written.
The best part about writing is that anyone can write. Young or old, rich or poor, successful or unknown, anyone can write anything that they want to. There is no test to pass, no hoops to jump through, no secret wisdom and no qualifications. As they say, if you can talk, you can write. The only difference is that you are putting the words you say onto paper.
So go ahead and write if you want to. Write for fun and write for profit. Write as a job or as a career. Write because you hope to leave something for your loved ones or write because it’s a fun diversion from everything. You can bring writing into your life in any way you want to and use it in any way you want to. Just write! And enjoy the journey.
Labels: creativity, I Love to Write Day, writing
posted by Dawn Wilson @ 4:32 PM
2 Comments:
At 9:42 PM ,
Lillie Ammann said...
Great article, Dawn. I intended to write something for I Love to Write Day, but I've been sick and had too much catching up to do.
At 3:42 PM ,
Dawn Wilson said...
Hi, Lillie. Thank you. And thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I'm sorry to hear you have been ill. I hope you get better soon. Good luck in getting caught up on everything. Take care of yourself. :)
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