Why do you write?

I recently came across this great quote:

“I write for the same reason I breathe –
because if I didn’t, I would die.”

~ Isaac Asimov

Why do I write?

1. I am a communicator. After 35 years of teaching young children I am convinced that this is the real me.
2. I am a storyteller. I love relating stories – usually jokes – to others.
3. I am a creative person. I love the process of taking a scene, a character or an idea and running with it to see what happens. My characters sometimes hijack my stories and the ending even surprises me!
4. I am an escapist. I prefer to live in a fantasy world. Reality is too harsh, too disappointing, too REAL. In the words of Ashleigh Brilliant: “I have abandoned my search for the truth and am now looking for a good fantasy.”
5. I am a visionary. I dream dreams. I can see the big picture. And sometimes these dreams and visions seep out of my being on to the page and I just have to share them with others. If the others think I’m a little unhinged, a little strange, a little whacky with a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock, so be it. I cling to the words of King Solomon who said: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18)

Why do you write?

Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Related articles:

• The Writer’s Life archive of articles on this blog.