Tuesday’s Top Ten: Reasons I Write

So I probably won’t have a statue looking out over Lake Geneva with a caption, but if I did, the caption would be “Builder of Worlds – Dreamer of Dreams.” If this is ever a thing, place my statue directly across the lake from that other statue, waving.

I’m no hero. I’m no legend. I’m a small potato. But I have a dream, and my dream is more powerful than the wall of negativity in my head.

“You’ll never make it.”

“Better writers than you have tried and failed.”

“You’ll never overcome your rookie mistakes.”

I write because it silences that voice. I’m too busy to listen to it. I write for these ten reasons, but there are many, many more.

10. Therapy. Writing exorcises my demons so I can function in society. There are still days when I want to curl up in a ball and never leave my bed, but my characters need me, and I would feel guilty writing if I didn’t go to work, so see? Function. Society.

9. Fun. Building worlds, researching old memories, finding nuggets of truth buried under plot and character. I know my definition of fun is twisted and far from what others think is fun, but I love it.

8. Purpose. I made a promise to a certain dead rock star that I would do my best to make up for my shitty perspective on life. I’ll keep writing until I’m dead, and I still won’t be as awesome.

7. Planning.

I used to be a pantser. That’s how I ended up with a 210k edgy YA horror novel. Handwritten. No shit. The damn thing took up six college-ruled notebooks. I still have nightmares about editing it. Now, I’m working harder on the mechanics of plot and pacing. Outlines are our friends.

6. Excitement. Creating a new character is like meeting a cute boy at the coffee shop and learning everything you can about him. Before, I felt bad when I learned he had a crush on the mechanic across the street. Now, that’s what fuels my desire to write. Yes I’m the stereotypical M/M writer who believes two cute boys are better than one.

5. Craft. It’s about getting from point A to point B and being clear and concise, but it’s also about conveying complex situations, themes, and concepts in a way that everyone can understand. That’s craft. My language is simple (unless it isn’t). My ideas are large, complex, twisted things. Dragons. My ideas are dragons.

4. Creating a Conversation. I’m not looking for fame or fortune. I’m not even banking on popularity. I just want to create real characters who inspire conversation. “Why the fuck did ___ fall for that?” or, “Who does ___ think he is?” Yeah. We can have those conversations. Again, my idea of fun is a little twisted. Just don’t be this guy.

3. Universal Truth in Microcosmic Simplicity. If you think gays are abominations who shouldn’t marry, then I think that means you don’t know any LGBT people. So here, meet my friends. Now tell me they don’t belong together. If after reading a book of LGBT fiction you still feel marriage equality is wrong, you are no longer ignorant. You’re just an asshole.

2. Practice. Writing pays the bills. Even if I never sell a novel, I’m still using my writing, planning, and editing skills to be a better professional. Yes, I mean that, even if you’ve read my work and think it sucks.

1. Love. Love makes the world go round. Love of my cats and my friends inspired me to write my first stories in grade school. Love for a good friend made its way into my first novel attempt. I moved on, trying to write het romance/chick lit, but something was missing. I want each of my novels to be John’s happy ending. I want each story to tell Freddie how much I appreciate the songs he left us.

So that’s why I write. How about you?