Why do I write?

I kept a blog about my writing a while back and decided to start a new one instead of adding to one that hasn’t been added to since 2009. Feel free to look at it if you’re bored or curious. It’s at http://dwsurrettwriting.blogspot.com/. Since that time I’d like to think my writing has gotten at least a little better, and I’ve been through some life circumstances that help me see some things differently.

I’ll take this first post to give a little background. I got interested in writing fiction when I was in my mid-thirties. Ancient for a lot of writers. I read a few copies of Writers Digest and took a course from Long Ridge Writers Group, which helped me with a lot of the basics. It wasn’t essential, but was beneficial and I’ve never been sorry I took it. http://longridgewritersgroup.com/index_wc.htm. My final assignment for Long Ridge was published in a small magazine that unfortunately no longer exists. I’ve had a few short stories published in other small magazines, anthologies, and an online publication. So no, I haven’t hit the big time yet.

So why do I take time to write when I could be doing other things? Because I enjoy it. Simple as that. I have hopes of publishing novels someday, but even without that chance, I’d still write. It gives me a creative outlet I didn’t know I needed until the writing bug bit me. With a stressful job that helps pay the bills, the last thing I want to do with my evenings is anything that’s gonna add more stress. Life is stressful enough without having a hobby that just seems like another job, even though writing can be hard work if you want to progress. But more about that in a future post.

Anytime anyone says they like to write, or even think they might like to write, I encourage them to go for it. Use your imagination. Write without caring what anybody else thinks. If you never want anyone else to see your work, that’s fine. Just keep writing. If you write for yourself, you don’t have to worry about what anybody else thinks. When (or if) you want someone to read what you’ve written, don’t let their response deflate you too badly or make your head swell too much. You’re in it for fun and your own satisfaction. If that never reaches to anyone else, so be it.

I’ll end this post with advice from Stephen King, who happens to be my favorite writer. “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” And get King’s book “On Writing.”

Keep reading, and keep writing. Be creative. Be yourself.