Writing

[lady_karelia]

To all who write, I'm curious. Why do you write? I'm genuinely curious, and I don't want anyone to draw ideas from others' comments, so I'm screening comments for a day or two. I just want a really honest opinion. And if you don't want your comment to be seen, say so, and I won't unscreen it. I'm just really curious.

Comments

[snapemylove.livejournal.com]

I write for many reasons. It started as an escape from unhappy circumstances. In my written fantasies, I could find the happiness and love I could not in RL. I also write to learn more about myself. Whether it be original, fanfiction, deep & thoughtful or pure smut, I learn something new about myself just by forcing myself through the thought processes. I also often find writing a form of relaxation. These are just a few of my reasons... but probably those that are most important to me and closest to my heart.

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Yes! The learning process is another fascinating aspect about the whole writing thing. Thank you for sharing!

[hp1fan.livejournal.com]

I've been writing since I was three years old. I've always made up storys, have always had an active imagination. I need to write as much as I need to breath. It's just what I have always wanted to do. I would love it to be my career as it is a part of my life. It is a release of pent up emotion, a fun hobby and a way to stay sane. It is a mixture of so many things. It is simply something I have to do and love to do. =)

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

The love for writing, the compulsion to write seems to be a strong theme in this thread, and one I absolutely resonate with. I can't imagine a life without writing. Heck, I get grumpy if I spend more than a day without penning a word. :D

[southernwitch69.livejournal.com]

The first time I decided to write it was because I was angry with the ending of a story (a beloved character getting killed off and another bloke getting the girl). It gave me the inspiration to write my first novel (the one I'm editing now, still after twelve years). Anyway, that's what started. I've found that I adore writing. It's a great way to escape and to create things as we want them. I love it.

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Heh. That's as wonderful a reason as any to start writing. And I'm very happy you continued ever since!

[corianderpie.livejournal.com]

Well, it's a new practice for me, but I write for myself. For my own pleasure, and to have something in a busy, other-oriented life that is just mine, that has no Greater Utility.

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Wow, and you're doing so splendidly! I do hope you'll upload your fic(s) to TPP, too. Of course, I'm biased. :D

Thank you for sharing!

[kingpig.livejournal.com]

I use writing just as I do reading; a means of escape from the mundane of daily life. Also, when I write Snape's character, it is more a form of catharsis – I give him a similar, if not more horrific, childhood to mine, and it's very therapeutic to allow him to vent and act out some of the frustrations and pain associated with abuse, and to give him someone to help him on the path of healing.

I also write as a means to connect with others, to bond with people I would have normally never met.

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Escape is always a good thing, I think, when it comes to writing or reading.

I won't say anything on the abusive childhood because if I do, I won't stop. Know that my heart goes out to you.

[kingpig.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much. *hugs*

[dreamy-dragon73.livejournal.com]

Why do I write? As you can tell from my late reply I needed a few days to mull over your question. Writing is part of my job, but it doesn’t only help to buy food and other necessities it is a part I actually like. Writing essays, testing hypotheses, constructing a logical argument is fun for me, tremendously so. Plus, I think best when I’m writing.

But that isn’t what your question was about, right? It was about writing fiction. I’m not sure I can answer that. I’ve always loved to invent stories, either completely original ones or simply spinning off from things I enjoyed, but until roughly two years ago I never felt any need to write them down. I somehow stumbled into HP fan fiction, read a lot, loved some stories to bits, hated others and gradually my own stories began to form in my head. So I wrote them down – for the first time ever. And more stories wanted to be told. The weirdest things can trigger ideas, and I love to see them taking shape on paper or screen, words developing a life of their own. It’s still one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to me, and now that I’ve started, I don’t think I could stop, nor would I want to.

[kittylefish.livejournal.com]

I write for a few reasons.

1) Because it's fun. I like sitting down and letting the words flow and tell the story. Sometimes it's a deluge, sometimes it's more of a trickle, sometimes it's like a faucet where the water's been off for a while, so it comes in fits and spurts, but it's always an amazing process. It's especially amazing when characters do things I had no idea they were going to do. Like in the recent April Fool's story, the tenderness that happened between Harry and Snape completely caught me by surprise. I also love the revision process, shining and polishing my little jewel until it's as pretty as I can make it.

2) Because I have something to say. With the poetry, for instance, it's almost like a form of therapy, trying to find sense and meaning in my jumbled emotions. And I have this crazy notion that if I write something that really speaks from my heart, maybe it will speak to someone else's heart and we will have true communication. In the wee hours this morning as I pondered this question while unable to sleep, I realized that even when writing HP fanfic, what I'm really interested in exploring seems best defined as the quintessential human quest for love and understanding. (Okay, sometimes maybe I mix up sex and love a little bit.)

3) Because I need to find out what happens. When I get an idea for something to write, there's usually characters, a situation, and a place I want to get to in the end. But I really have no idea how I will get there, or even if I will get there, and if I do get there, whether or not that's actually going to be the end or just a station along the way. Writing without any really defined outline means that the only way I can really know what happens is by writing it.

Thanks for posting this, which pushed me to articulate it for myself. :D