“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” ― Martin Luther
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Every now and then we talk about why we feel compelled to write. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and it occurs to me that our motivation for writing may change as we grow in experience.
For example, the reason I decided to write my first novel wasn’t because I wanted to change the world or as some kind of personal catharsis. It was because I was listening to an audiobook while out running one day, and I thought I could write a mystery that was better than the one I was listening to. (A monumental act of hubris.)
When I returned home from my run, I got out my laptop and started typing. It was like being in a canoe, carried down the river by a current so strong, there was no use to fight it, even if I’d wanted to.
But as I got further into the story, I found there were things I wanted to say—about the world, society, myself—that changed my view of why I was doing this. By the time the book was published, I had arrived at a whole new perspective and a new “why” of writing.
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So why do most writers write? Is there one overriding reason? Famous authors have offered their own opinions on this subject. As I read through some of their motivation for writing, I found themes of suffering, love, self-satisfaction, societal problems and more. Here are a few quotes:
“Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself…It’s a self-exploratory operation that is endless. An exorcism of not necessarily his demon, but of his divine discontent.” – Harper Lee
“When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing.” – George Orwell
“All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world.” ― E.B. White
“I don’t know why I started writing. I don’t know why anybody does it. Maybe they’re bored, or failures at something else.” – Cormac McCarthy
“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” – Flannery O’Connor
“I believe there is hope for us all, even amid the suffering – and maybe even inside the suffering. And that’s why I write fiction, probably. It’s my attempt to keep that fragile strand of radical hope, to build a fire in the darkness.” – John Green
“That’s why I write, because life never works except in retrospect. You can’t control life, at least you can control your version.” – Chuck Palahniuk
“I write for those that have no voice, for the silent ones who’ve been damaged beyond repair; I write for the broken child within me…”
― Nitya Prakash
“I write because I love writing. I think I became a writer in order to explore my ideas and responses to the world around me, which I often found it difficult to share with others. Also I liked my autonomy, and a writer can choose his or her own working hours – midnight to dawn or whenever.” – Alex Miller
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But you don’t have to be famous to have a gripping reason to write a book. A few weeks ago, my husband and I hosted a local author event for the community we live in. I had asked each of the ten published authors to send me a statement about why they write. Take a look.
As a former ICU nurse and family caregiver, I want to bring God’s hope to anyone facing a health crisis. —Tracy Crump
“I love teaching and encouraging young children. What better way than through story telling! In my barnyard adventures, I teach values and character building in relatable situations. I love how it gives parents a way to spend time with their child while learning values.” —Becky Thomas
“My stories are tales of trials and victory against impossible odds, carrying the message of enduring hope—because fantasy teaches us that with courage and resilience, we can persevere through the most extraordinary things.” —Beth Alvarez
“I created a coloring book to help kids and kids-at-heart relax and take some quiet time to bring color into their lives. We should live life in every color!” —Annette Teepe
“I write because I want to reach out to young readers who may currently have no spiritual interests that they might discover the difference Jesus can make in their lives and consider following Him.” —Larry Fitzgerald
“I write for the Lord, Kay, Arthur, myself, decency, and to add a drop to the sea of literature.” —Frank DiBianca
“My five mystery novels are set primarily in the historic Memphis area during the post war 1940s. They include action, some gun play, humor and even a little romance now and then.” —Nick Nixon
“Countless books have been written about every Beatles song ever recorded, but I really wanted to read a book about all the hits they had as solo artists. Since that book didn’t exist, I decided to write it.” —Gary Fearon
“I write mysteries because they reflect what I believe—that truth is worth pursuing, and that critical thinking, perseverance, and faith will lead us there.” —Kay DiBianca
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So TKZers: Why do you write? And more specifically, why are you writing the current book you’re working on? Or any book in your backlist. Has your reason for writing changed over time?
Only a single star could reveal the truth buried beneath decades of lies. And only one woman had the courage to follow its light.
Click the image to go to the Amazon book detail page.
My motivation for writing my current novel is that I want to try to lighten the mood of people in these ‘hard times for our times’ (viz. Charles Dickens), or in other words to cheer the heart in the face of an increasingly unpredictable and ever more violent world. At the same time I want to expose the drawbacks of such ‘past-times’ like playing for ‘big money’ (often encouraged by the mainstream media).
By the way, I enjoyed what Frank DiBianca said about ‘adding a drop to the sea of literature!’
Good morning Hasan!
“I want to try to lighten the mood of people in these ‘hard times for our times’” What a noble goal. I wish you well in all your writing efforts.
(I’ll pass along your kind comment to Frank. 🙂 )
Thanks for asking, Kay! I want to encourage readers with the thoughts, choices, words, and actions of realistic characters living in today’s world.
Good for you, Grant! Encouragement for the journey – much appreciated.
Have a good week.
My current series, The Malcolm Gee Mystery series, shows that a man who doesn’t believe in God, who is in love with a woman who often quotes the bible, can live by the Ten Commandments and The Golden Rule. It doesn’t matter what faith you practice. It matters how you treat people. It matters about the respect you show. We don’t have to automatically hate another person because they don’t have the same religious beliefs. It’s what’s in the heart, the actions, the attitude toward your fellow humans. Opposites can attract. Opposites can love one another. Opposites can peacefully coexist and make the world a better place. If I accomplish that in my books and help a single person or couple, then I’ve achieved my goal. The hours I’ve spent writing are then worth it because I’ve helped make the world a little better.
Good morning, Henry,
Your remind me of that famous Hawthorne quote about the power of words and “how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.”
Using your words to make the world a better place is a wonderful reason to write.
Nothing deep. No worldly motives. I write for me. I enjoy it. And if I’m writing, I’m exempt from doing housework.
Good morning, Terry.
I’ve heard you say that before—that you write to avoid doing housework. (I can identify.) But I’ve read books you’ve written, and I suspect there’s another motive there. 🙂
I used to “punish” myself when I hit a roadblock by doing things like clean the fridge.
I write to keep learning.
I write to try to make sense of people, situations, and events that don’t make sense. Getting harder all the time.
I write fiction b/c in stories justice can be done in a way that rarely happens in real life.
Three great reasons to write, Debbie. I especially like the idea of applying justice. You do a great job of that in your books.
Have a good week.
I love that you host local author meetups, Kay!
I’m bummed that I missed one this past Saturday in my area (hosted by the local library and a bookshop owner.) Hopefully I can make the next one.
Why do I write? It’s a spinoff from my pen & ink artisrty that has become obsession. A disturbing dream gave me my current MC, and now, nearly five books into the series, I feel compelled to have her story complete.
Good morning, Cyn!
The local author event was wonderful. We had a beautiful venue in the Performing Arts Center at an independent living community, so people wandered through to meet the authors, see their work, and even buy a few books. The best part, though, was that we authors got to know each other and our works better than we had.
I love that you’re a pen and ink artist as well as an author. Brightening the world in more than one medium!
There are no simple or universal answers to such a question. For myself, unresolved questions demand at least an acknowledgement, even if a neat resolution is impossible. I always learn something about myself when I confront those questions. Getting both the words and feelings right in the process adds to the challenge and joy. And as private as the process must be, the ultimate goal is staking out my own declaration to share with the world.
Beautifully stated, Mike.
I identify strongly with your statement “I always learn something about myself when I confront those questions.” For me, this is the added blessing. The author attempts to create a gift for the world, and “the measure used to give will be used to measure back to the giver.”
Have a great week.
I wrote my first novel for myself, to get the story out of my head and to prove I could write a coherent story. I started the sequel to see if I could do it again, and then it morphed into writing it because friends and family wanted to read it. That was too much pressure, so now I’m writing for me again, and to spend some creative time with God.
Good morning, Michelle.
Isn’t it interesting the way our motives may change from one book to the next. “…to spend some creative time with God.” Sounds like a perfect reason to write.
Good morning, Kay! Terrific food for thought this Monday morning.
Why do I write? It’s a question I’ve rarely asked myself, I guess because writing is something I love, despite all the many challenges, and obstacles (mostly from myself), and thus don’t question whyI actually write.
I write because I love story, still have that 12-year old boy inside who loved to “pretend” and spin his own stories, who wrote his first two stories for a language arts class, who later wanted to write novels like the ones he wrote.
I write because I crave creating my own stories, and playing in the fields of my imagination, and sharing those fictions, which hopefully resonate, with others.
Good morning, Dale.
“…playing in the fields of my imagination” — what a great metaphor. Hope you have many more fruitful years of playing in those fields.
Have a great week.
I grew up surrounded by loud men. Writing was my only way to express myself. Ironically, one of the reasons I chose writing was because my dad, the loudest of them all, was a writer.
Hi Marilynn,
Ah, the quiet gift of writing. Good for the soul.
Have a great week.
I resonate so much with so many of the reasons given in this post by various authors, but this one encapsulates it for me: “…You can’t control life, at least you can control your version.” – Chuck Palahniuk
That is a huge reason for writing.
As well as Flannery O’Connor’s “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.”
And I just love to explore. Sometimes I can’t find the kind of fiction I want to read. So I need to fill that hole. And there are themes we’ve discussed before — like writing to at least bring fictional justice.
Those two quotes you mention also resonated with me, Brenda. Especially Flannery O’Connor’s. Until we express our thoughts in words, I don’t think we really understand them.
Have a good week.