Why Do You Write?

That seems like an honest question... or is it?

I'm accustomed to the age old questions: What inspires you? How do you think of something to write? And various other such questions, but "Why do you write?"  Huh!  That's a new one.

First, I have a vivid imagination and certain words will invoke an image or a string of images that somehow I construe into a tale.  Oh, wait -- that falls under "what inspires you" questioning.

How about?  I read a story written by another author BEFORE I started writing which I found so pathetic that I said "I can write a better story than that!" and finally decided to put up or shut up.

That sounds rather tacky and impolite to dis another author.  Actually, it is the truth, in a way.  I read a very poorly written story including bad, stereotypical characters, bland action, crappy plot and even worse ending.  It was a story I was reading to my children at night.  Even they didn't want to listen to it. So I quit and I began creating a story for them in place of it.  I finished the crappy novel hoping it would get better - it didn't and quickly thought I'd wasted my time but realized I actually had learned a lot while reading it.  I'd learned what not to do.

Now, as I mentioned, I was creating a story - continuing it each night as I told my sons the tale with them helping by adding names, some descriptions and in a sense, deciding what action might happen next.  In other words, as I stumbled through my tale, I would say "As Andrew (a name they'd chosen) hiked through the woods, you won't believe what he found. What do you think it was?"  Now they would get involved and try to guess what it was.  Each boy was allowed to give two ideas then I would pick the one that I thought would be the best choice.  I usually had five choices (2 boys X 2 ideas = 4) plus my own for backup, so I was safe.  Making a decision about which choice, I would continue the story.  What I didn't know was my wife would sit on the landing and listen to the tale as we created it.

One night she suggested I start to put the words down and see if it could be a real story.  For some reason, the story never really ever ended. The nights of story-telling ceased; I guess the boys grew up since they preferred I not do bedtime stories when they had buddies stay over.

BUT, I had these stories inside me.  I needed to get them out.  I needed to write.  My wife's suggestion seemed the logical escape.

So why do I write?  I write to express myself, to share the world(s) inside my head with others and let them see the wonders I live with and am able to escape to for a little while.

If scientists ever prove whether parallel worlds exist, it won't be a surprise to me.  I know they exist. I live in those worlds that parallel mine or mine that parallels theirs.  Inside my brain are so many wondrous worlds that if I don't write, I'll go crazy.

So, tell me - Why do YOU write?  Share.

Until next I ramble on...