Why We Write #WritingWednesday

Why do you do what you do? As a writer, why do you write? What is the purpose of spending sleepless hours putting words together to form sentences that form into paragraphs, and eventually lead to a story or idea? They say that writing is a penniless job. You’ll get more rejections and criticisms than appreciation and opportunity. Well, tell that to J.K. Rowling; the first self-made billionaire author in history. Is money your drive for writing though? What is the purpose of writing for you?

Purpose of Writing : Why We Write and Keep on Writing

Technically, writing aims to tell a story, describe, inform, entertain, or persuade you. Isn’t that what we were taught when we were in school?

Stories

We write to tell a story. Whose story? Your story. The story of the baker who lives across the street. The story of your dog. We tell stories about nature, our nation and what’s happening in our world. There are fictions because we want to tell a story about worlds and people that are beyond the imagination. We tell stories of characters that embodies our ideals or those of our alter egos.

Each of us has a story to tell, whether it’s real, made up, or make-believe. Jesus used stories to get a point across. He told parables to teach lessons and made sure it is something the people of His time and that place could easily relate to.

We have bedtime stories for children to get them to sleep, help develop their young minds by planting the seed of imagination and logic, and also teach them with lessons that lie behind the stories.

Before televisions or radios were invented, people are resourceful with their choice of entertainment. Telling stories is one of them.

Humans love stories. So we write to tell them.

Inform

We write to inform, to enlighten, to let the world know about what is happening, or about a specific thing. It is easier nowadays to spread information through the internet and social media. Sadly, some people use this ease and convenience to share false information or fake news. As writers, we should be responsible about what we write to inform or what information we need to propagate.

Persuade

Writing also enables us to persuade. Ads are created by companies to convince consumers to choose their products over the competition. If ads are written well, companies sell well. That is one reason or purpose why we write: to inform others about us and what we offer and to persuade them that we are the best and it is a wise decision to choose us.

Why do you write?

Looking back, I did not care what the purpose for the writing assignment was. I only knew I loved every minute of it. From coming up with an idea about what to write about, to composing the sentences and writing the words on paper, erasing the unnecessary, and finalizing my draft—I felt like I was in cloud nine.

I write because writing for me is like breathing. I cannot live without it.

Writing helps me unburden myself from life’s toxicity, and from thousands of thoughts and ideas that swim in my head.

Initially, writing was a hobby. Eventually, I realized that there is a purpose for my writing; it is to make other people feel they are not alone in their journey.

I went to some ups and downs that made we search for people who might be at the same place. I looked for mentors, or at least people whom I can journey with from where I am. Sad to say, I found only fewer than five whom I can relate to and helped made my ride smoother so to speak.

That is why I write. I want to be the hand that holds the lost, assuring them that they are not alone and that there is someone out there who knows what it is like to be confused and broken too.

I write to be the voice by telling the story other people wants to share but cannot find the words to do so.

Yes, I may have come to the point where I write and get paid for it, but I have not lost sight of the purpose of writing.

How about you? Why do you write?

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#WritingWednesday

Last week, we introduced #WritingWednesday on The Frangipani Creative. Do join us.

Prompts:

1. Fiction: His eyes were cold and lifeless as he started at me. “You have no idea who I am, do you?” (Credit: Writings & Essay Corner)
2. Non-fiction: The most disappointed I’ve ever been…..