Just Write!

I’m often asked why I write, and I think it’s no great mystery or anything. In this post, I’ll explore why you might want to.

Writing as Oxygen

For some of us, writing is such an ingrained thing that we can’t very well remember a time in which we were not writing. I’m one of those folks.

As soon as I knew my letters, I was off, crayon in hand, taping or stapling little illustrated books together, to the bemusement of my family. They encouraged me, though. My father was a storyteller and eventually an indie writer. My mother worked in a printing press which made both newspapers and books. And I am and always have been an avid reader.

So for me, writing is my oxygen. So is art. I’ll get into that in future posts dedicated to art.

Writing as a Hobby

Writing can be a fulfilling hobby, one in which you could catalog your days via a diary or blog, or even posts on social media. Guess what, that is writing!

You can write simply for your own enjoyment. Experiment with writing about what you see, hear, taste, smell, touch, or feel emotionally. Write down what moved you. Write down what you ate. Write whatever comes to mind. Have fun with it!

Writing as Self Care

Writing is a perfect way to unwind, vent, explore ideas, and work through problems. Even if you choose not to keep things that you write when you’re stressed out, that’s okay. But if you do, those passages might be something valuable to look back on and see your progress.

Writing as a Career

Writing as a career poses many ups and downs. I am a science and content writer for my “day gig” and I also write fiction in the form of books and short stories. The latter have not reached a critical mass yet, so I can’t live on their income alone. Hence the science writing. This was a natural progression for me, as I have a science degree and experience in various scientific arenas.

I like to have at least three sources of income as a writer. I call it making a table: you need at least three legs to make a stable table. Preferably more, in case one of those legs goes away. And it will. Ask me how I know.

I’ve worked at several kinds of jobs over my life: restaurant, lab tech, clinical study worker, Barbie spokesmodel (it’s true!), commissioned artist, pet sitter, house sitter…but I keep coming back to the writing. I noticed that in several of my unrelated jobs, I would often be asked to communicate things to groups. So when you’re a writer, the word gets out.

This career can send you to peaks and valleys. It is not for the faint of heart. Often it will break your heart. It will not make you rich. If you’re writing for a living, you’re doing that because you’re good at it, and someone out there values your work. It’s increasingly hard to get both pay and respect as a writer. So I do recommend you consider getting a backup job. Remember: stable table.

Writing as Expression

Writing is an art form.

There are technical aspects of it, to be sure. But art can be used as expression, as declaration.

Writing gives you the option to declare yourself, to make your soul known to the universe publicly. (Or privately, if you wish to keep it to yourself.)

Whether via prose, poetry, song, or sign, writing is a conduit through which you can say: I am here, I matter. My words matter.

You Don’t Need a Reason

I have explored reasons for writing, but I finish by saying this: you don’t need a reason to write. Do it for work, for a hobby, for fun, but DO IT FOR YOU. Just write.

Write on!
Jendia