WHY DO WE WRITE?

 At the last P&P meeting I took a survey of the members who were present, asking them to answer in a sentence or two "Why do you write?  What makes you do this?"  Their answers were beautifully diverse.  See for yourself ............

D.J. said:  I write because I have to or I would go crazy!  I think I have something to say even though I'm not sure what!

Amanda said:  I write because stuff is in there and it has to come out.  It's something I have to do, but I don't know why.

Nana said:  I write usually with a specific purpose in mind.  I also write to relieve stress.

Brenda said: I'm intrigued, completely intrigued, by the effect writing has on me, the writer, and those who read my writing.

Solard said: I write because I have no other effective way of dealing with or processing my desire to make the story end the way I want it to end.

M.J. wrote in her 'free verse' style:

I write to figure it out    What happened, what I thought

What that happening    Means today.

I am writing     And I haven't figured it out

I'm thinking, still thinking

Life is still happening   Meaning I'm here today.

Darla said:  It soothes my soul -- word pictures come to my mind and I have to write.  It fills a void.

My thoughts on the subject are:  We are the creative ones.  We have that creative spark, or maybe it is a gene acquired from our elders and we pass it along to the next generation.  We see visions in our heads and hear music in our hearts.  I can't remember a time when I did not feel the urge to create something that wasn't there before.

Not everyone has this creativity, but those who have it are usually talented in more ways than one.  I know some of you also sing, play instruments, dance, sculpt, paint, act, design, photograph, quilt, knit, scrapbook, etc.  The ability to do these things doesn't just happen overnight.  It requires some talent and a lot of "want to" which calls for study, practice, determination and focus to accomplish.

I think our creative energy makes us feel the need to leave something of ourselves behind --- something which will help us be remembered in future days.

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."   ----John Keats

Grannie Carol