Read this on galpod.com.
I started writing fiction because I had a story to tell. One day, while I was doing my PhD, a story came into my head. I tried to ignore it, but it kept coming back. After I finished my PhD, it became clear to me that academia is not the best route for me. After resisting it some more, I decided to take writing seriously and just write this story already.
So I did. I started researching online instructions on how to write, and I started writing. I finished writing that story now, but, of course, a few others jumped into my head and refused to leave until I write them down. And I'm thankful almost every day for these stories. They are fun, and I like to write them down. So, one answer to the question of why I write is because I have stories to tell. My brain, apparently, likes making up stories. And the more I write them down, the more stories it makes up. It's a funny thing, the brain.
Also, there's the practical reason. I want to be home when my kids come back from school. At least for now, until they're old enough to walk themselves, or as long as they need me to be here. Writing lets me do that. Writing while the kids are in school is exactly the right thing for me. It gives me a set timeframe that lights a fire under my bum. If I don't get this done now, it won't get done today. Because by the time I pick the kids up and homework and showers and dinner and dishes and bedtime, I'm done for the day. That timeframe helps me get things done.
But there's another reason. I write because I love to read. Books can take me to different worlds, but more importantly, they open a window into someone else's point of view. When I go on a journey through a book, I relate to the characters, and then I learn something about myself that I didn't know before, or that I forgot. Now, the idea that at some point, someone else would read the book I wrote and would feel like that, would relate to the character I created and it would help them learn something about themselves, is indescribably thrilling for me. That I can reach someone with my words and touch their heart is incredibly rewarding. Well, it is when they tell me that's what happened :)
And that's the main reason I write.
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