Author reflections
Why I Write
Have you ever stopped to wonder what drives you?
Recently, I read this article by Justiss Goode about our motivations for writing:
It made me stop to think: why do I write?
Because the fact is that I write a lot, and I have done so for years. I’m pretty new to Medium, but prior to that I was already writing thousands of words per month as a fiction author. I also publish research articles (and let’s not mention the endless work emails. Really — let’s not!!).
So, besides burning through keyboards and giving myself sore fingers, what are my motivations for all of this?
I think there are three main reasons:
Connections
I write to connect with other people.
Now, I might not always know who those people are, exactly, but I have an idea in my mind. As I am writing, I am thinking of a reader that is a bit like myself, at least in some ways. I can visualize that person picking up and starting to read whatever book or article I’m working on. And I really want them to enjoy it.
From there, I just need to bring that picture of my ideal reader to mind. Would they appreciate more humor, for example, more unusual characters, or a longer action scene?
This directly guides how I write.
Other connections are important, too. As an author, I am part of a community, and that’s the case here on Medium, too. I engage with fellow readers on Facebook and Discord. And on sites like Royal Road, I can get feedback directly from readers on a chapter-by-chapter basis.
All of these make me keen to further and deepen those connections.
Perhaps I hear about what another writer has been doing and get inspired, for example, or I hear a reader talk about types of book that they’d like to see more of.
Oh yeah, and those emails are connections, too, but that’s a different story…
Progress
I like to feel a sense of progress. I think we all do. Think of video games — nobody wants to play level 1 over and over again.
My writing gives me a sense of progress. When I brought out my series Sparta Online, I was able to see how far I had come as an author compared to my earlier work. Not only was I able to complete each book, I was able to do so pretty quickly, exactly hit my target word count, and develop characters that many people engaged with!
I am sure it is (or will be) the same for most writers. If you get stuck in a rut and don’t fell like you are making progress, you lose motivation. If you can see progression, it feels great, and you are inspired to carry on.
Earnings can also provide a sense of progress, which I think is more important than the money itself. Everyone likes to see their stats tick upwards, and know that they are doing better than before.
So, keep going — I am sure that you will level up!
Freedom
There is one other factor that really makes a difference, and that is having some choice, some freedom, over what to write.
Think about it.
If you’ve ever had a deadline for a report for work or college, and a certain number of thousands of words you need to produce, it’s so hard to keep going. It’s super difficult to motivate yourself to even type another line.
In contrast, if you have a new idea that you’re excited about, you can easily type several thousand words in a day.
You’ve got the bug!
And it’s all because it’s your thing, and you chose to write it.
I guess that’s one of the reasons I like being an indie author — I can pick and choose what series I want to write, and when. And it’s a good thing about Medium, too. There is the potential to write and share whatever interests me. And that’s a kind of magic.
What about you — why do you write? And will you keep going over the long term?
A shoutout to Aarti Tailor for this great article on taking a leap of faith. I really enjoyed reading it! -
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