Why I Write

I write because I can't not write. I think that, in a nutshell, is what makes one a writer. Unfortunately, it doesn't always mean you have the talent to back it up. But like many things, writing improves with practice. I always knew I wouldn't be a "real" writer until I hit 40. I was just self-aware enough to know there was a lot I didn't know yet. And I was right.

I've been writing since I was nine years old. I started by writing what I thought people wanted to hear--I was an insecure kid, what can I say. I then moved on to what I suppose were hilarious gothic stories where everyone died, to fantasy stuff in my teens and early twenties. I was an English major in college, with an emphasis on creative writing--I studied under Lorrie Moore, and if you think that was intimidating, you're right. I was afraid to write what I really wanted to write for ten years after that, she was so dismissive of genre fiction, and, if I'm being honest here, of me. She's been my nemesis, supremely talented but a little snotty about it. To be fair to her, she is barely nine years my senior and was probably too young to be an objective teacher when I knew her. Sadly, she probably doesn't even remember me, but I unfortunately can't forget about her.

Still, I now thumb my nose in her general direction and write what I want to write, which is romantic fiction. I realized, after reading countless books, that what really interested me was human relationships. I also realized that there is a dearth of good writing in the romance writing field. There are of course exceptions but for the most part it is formulaic dreck. I knew I could write better than half of the published authors I came across and so I decided to give it a try.

What I realized was that publishers look for only two things, good writing be damned: 1) are you prolific enough to invest in and 2) will it sell. I also realized that if you are a parent (I am), married (I am), work full time (check), and actually want to have a social life (I do!), the novel takes a very far backseat. I've also noticed that a lot of writers I enjoy are empty-nesters, or never had kids to start with. So there goes prolific, at least in the sense of my novel writing. My online stories are going gangbusters, but they aren't, strictly speaking, novels. I actually see them more as a sort of television series in my head.

I write my online stories because writing in a vaccuum isn't as fun. Getting feedback gives me inspiration to write more. That's why I recommend a writer's group, if you find yourself flagging in your own writing. Having an assignment of sorts every week, or month, moves your story along that much faster. And of course, with online, you can easily have a writer's group with people all over the world: I do! We post our "real" writing on a hidden thread for our little group to comment on. I admit my novel is still going slowly but it is doing much better than it was without my group to cheer me on and make suggestions.

I write online to hone my craft. I hope to build a following but this writing is mostly for my own amusement. It is romance writing in that a lot of people fall in and out of love. It is action writing in that there is always something going on. It is fantasy in that it takes place in a made up town that includes vampires, werewolves, witches, fairies, and other strange creatures. Mostly, it's just fun. I've been told my stories are fun to read: They're certainly fun to write!

And that, really, is the best reason to write: Because you enjoy it.