Why do I write?
That is a question a lot of people ask me and it is one I often ask myself.
Writing is a lonely, sedentary task. It is time consuming, frustrating and unrewarding in many ways.
It was Paul Simon who wrote ‘All my words come back to me – in shades of mediocrity – like emptiness in harmony’. That about sums it up.
I am not the next John Fowles. I did not study English Literature. Why do I think I can write?
I write because I know I can articulate the contents of my mind into words that will resonate with my readers. I know I can and sometimes I do.
I write because I have a head that is full of passions, ideas, thoughts, opinions and stories and I have a burning need to write them down. I enjoy writing as much as I do reading – and I love reading.
I am not religious. I do not believe in any god or afterlife; I do not believe there is an ultimate purpose. I believe we have to give life a purpose. We have to strive to make the world a better place. Writing does that for me.
I love nature and am destroyed by what we are doing to the planet. It eats me up.
I write about the things that mean something to me. I am a communicator who is an idealist; I believe we can make things better.
I write because I believe in creativity. Creating something beautiful or passionate gives purpose and fulfilment. My books contain the wonder in my head.
I write because it is difficult. Writing a novel is like climbing Everest. It is so hard that it leaves you with a sense of fulfilment when you’ve achieved it. I’ve climbed a lot of mountains.
I write because I am a rebel who wants to change the system. I want to change it because it stinks. I think we can do better.
I write about my passions.
There are no rules. I like to push the limits in every way going. My books are different. They are sometimes extreme.
I write for fun.
I have written 49 books and published twenty four. Twenty two are available on Amazon. They are my babies. They will live longer than me.
I dread to think how many hours I have sat in the dark typing on an old type-writer or pounding the keyboard on my various computers. How much of my life? How many tens of thousands of hours?
A book would take me a couple of thousand hours. I done rewrite after rewrite.
So far I have earned around £700 for all those efforts. I make about a dollar a book. It’s not a great return. If it was about the money I could have worked in a filling-station and bought a house!
It’s not about the recognition. You write into a relentless vacuum.
It is sometimes the most discouraging, pointless, lonely task in the world. Sometimes I read what I have written and despair.
But I’m still writing!
You follow your craft so genuinely, it is inspiring. I too share the same passion, although I’m 48 books behind you! Putting the development of one’s ability to write as life’s main priority can perhaps get in the way of popularity and marketing, but it’s the only way to keep producing the works that satisfy the thirst.
Too true. If the ideas come they have to be allowed to blossom.
Reblogged this on Opher's World and commented:
This says something about me.
That feeling you get when you finally write something you love is way better than money!
Many of us Indies are in similar straits – spending many hours writing and earning little. But as you say, that’s not what it’s all about. It’s about the joy of writing, the challenge of doing it well, and the satisfaction of communicating something meaningful that will outlive us. Well said!
I think the frustration is not the financial reward (or lack of reward) but the fact that you are not being read by many people.
Yes. Sometimes I think that I write for my own entertainment. It’s my own fault – I’m a horrible marketer.
I just enjoy the writing. Marketing or approaching agents or publishers is a drag. What stuff do you write John? Have you got any books out?
I agree. I have 4 books out. “A Personal Journey to the Heart of Teaching” was written during my second-to-last year of teaching. It is best described as an inspirational memoir. Then I started writing sci-fi – which is really futuristic drama. The series is called The Genesis Saga and I have two books published: “Passion & Struggle” (Book 1) and “Treachery & Triumph” (Book 2). Last December I published another non-fiction called “Reflections” – it is a series of 50 reflective essays written about quotes that I found inspirational. They are all on Amazon under my own name.
I’ll check them out John. Always good to meet a fellow writer.
Thank you. I agree, I’m glad we met too.