And, it’s February. The month that includes Valentine’s Day. A time of acknowledgement, reflection, and thanks for our sweethearts, or for showing some love ourselves if it’s that season of life.
I want to take a moment this month to show some love to Writing. To the craft and the practice. To the obsession and the angst. And to the art that some part of us just can’t do without.
Why Do We Love Writing?
Why do we come to the keyboard every day? Yes, I know, but you know what I mean. What keeps drawing us back to the stories we tell?
There are probably as many reasons as there are authors, but I want to unpack a couple of the things that keep me, and maybe you, too, writing on.
Bringing Order out of Potential
There is just something intoxicating about the idea of starting with a spark and a blank page and conjuring a story out of it. A story that can be shared with the world and preserved and passed on to the future. There is a kind of magic in the action, that, miraculously, is within reach. It’s attainable, it’s real. In writing, I can make something out of nothing, and the only tools that I need are pen, paper, imagination, and the perseverance to make it to “the end.” How many other things in the world are like that?
Archimedes said, “give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” The writer can honestly counter, “give me a way to record my words, and I shall create a world.”
Telling Stories
The storytelling element is another enchanting part of writing. Human beings are, as Lisa Cron entitled her excellent book, “Wired for Story.” Whether we realize it or not, we use story and narrative structure to get ourselves through our days. Telling a story lets us work through problems. Stories are how we relate to each other. When we frame our worlds in narrative, we sort meaning out of the things that happen to us, and the ways we respond. And we use stories to share that meaning with the world.
Writing fiction gives an even wider canvas. Rather than simply “making stuff up,” the skilled storyteller uses fiction to share and expand on truth.
“Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
You can see this at work in the stories that we return to as readers or other consumers. Odds are great that, whatever your favorite “property” is, its creator wove a story that tapped into truth that resonated with you.
Making a Living
I mean this in a couple of ways.
It’s, statistically, the rare author that makes anything like a financial living off of their work. Possible, but unlikely. But, by the same token, find me a writer who doesn’t, in some corner of the left ventricle of their heart, think it would be awesome, even if the odds are against them, to have a piece make a bestseller list.
I’m sure that, to greater or lesser degrees, financially successful authors do come back to the craft again and again, in some part, because of the potential financial upside. And who doesn’t grin when they sell a book or a short story?
The other way that I mean “making a living” is in the fact that, whether a writer ever makes a cent off of their work, the writing itself is part of their life, and part of living it. Good, bad, or indifferent, what we do with our lives is a massive part of who we are, how we see ourselves, and how we show ourselves to the world. Coming back to writing, day after day, is a way to honor the writer living inside you.
Showing Your Love of Writing
Once we know the “whys,” how can we show love to writing? Or, more specifically, to our own writing, as hobby, craft, profession, or calling?
Probably my favorite way to show love to my writing is by… actually writing. This is probably akin to the “quality time” love language.
You can also show your writing some love by promoting it. Polish your work to the best of your ability and send it out into the world. Talk up your latest publishing credit or release, share some snippets or previews with your tribe. When you’re introduced to someone new, even if it isn’t your primary source of income, add “and writer” to your self-introduction. Embrace what you love, and show it off!
I also love writer-ly things, whether it’s a coffee mug with a favorite author’s quote on it, or fan art from a beloved story. Indulging in an occasional “thing” that speaks to my love of story, words, and writing is a fun way for me to share what I love with the world. Especially if my indulgence supports someone else who is celebrating their love by using their time and skill to make these cool, bookish, and writerly things!
Why Do You Love Writing?
What do you think? Why do you love writing? Maybe a harder question, but, is your love for the craft requited? In what way? How do you show your love for writing? I’d love to read your thoughts on your love for writing,
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like this one on Dealing with A Rejection. Sometimes love hurts; how can you turn a rejection into positive momentum for your craft?
Until next time, may the Muse be with you!
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