Why I Write

Sometimes people ask me why I want to write. It is hard to answer that question in just one sentence.  I can, but there is more to it than one simple answer.  So, I decided to dedicate today’s post to the long answer.

One of the best Christmas gifts I got as a kid was a boxed set of Great Illustrated Classics (those books with a picture on every other page).  In the set  was a copy of Little Women, and it quickly became my favorite book.  I first read it in second grade and then multiple times throughout elementary school and middle school.  I loved Jo, and wanted to be just like her (for those who aren’t familiar with the book, she became a writer).  She was my first inspiration.

I also love to entertain people with my stories.  That also started when I was young.  Being the oldest of four, I often looked after my siblings and told them stories that I made up on the spot.  My grandpa inspired me to do this.  He told all his grandchildren stories about “Cady Coon Dog” and her heroics against bears and other dangers.  I loved those stories and always begged to hear more.

And finally, I write because I have so many stories in my head that I have to write them down to get them out.  Other writers understand this, but it may be harder for non-writers to understand.  Stories fill my head, sometimes keeping me awake at night and distracting me from things I have to do during the day.  Until I write them down, they stay there just waiting to be released.

As with anything, there are many elements that make a person want to become a writer.  There are even still more things I could tell about, professors who encouraged me in college, family and friends who believed in me, and even other books that impacted my decision.  It could take pages to tell about every single thing that played a part, so I just stuck with three of the biggest ones.

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