Gaining Inspiration from the Greats – Why Write?
August 13, 2010
The following is a guest post from Cathryn Johnson.
Sometimes as writers, when the going gets tough, we get disheartened. We begin to question why we are writing in the first place. Surely it would easier to make a living doing something else! It is at times like these that we need a pep-talk of sorts. We need someone to come along side us and remind us why we began writing in the first place.
Here are ten reasons from writers throughout history that I have compiled to encourage us and remind us why we have chosen writing as a profession:
1. You are Good At It
I am a writer because writing is the thing I do best. ~Flannery O’Connor – an American novelist, short-story writer and essayist who wrote two novels and 32 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries
2. It Gives a Sense of Identity, a Sense of Belonging
For a man who no longer has a homeland, writing becomes a place to live. ~Theodor Adorno – a German-born international sociologist, philosopher, and musicologist
3. It Makes You Feel Good
Writing is the supreme solace. ~Somerset Maugham – a playwright, novelist and short story writer who was reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s
Words are the most powerful drug used by mankind. ~Rudyard Kipling – a British author and poet best known for writing The Jungle Book
4. To Leave a Mark
If you would not be forgotten,
as soon as you are dead and rotten,
either write things worth reading,
or do things worth the writing.
~Benjamin Franklin – one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, he was also a leading author and printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat
5. To Spread Knowledge
No one suggests that writing about science will turn the entire world into a model of judgment and creative thought. It will be enough if they spread the knowledge as widely as possible. ~Isaac Asimov – an award-winning American author and professor of biochemistry, best known for his works of science fiction
6. Not for Money
There’s no money in poetry, but then there’s no poetry in money either. ~Robert Graves – an English poet, translator and novelist who produced more than 140 works during his lifetime
7. It is Who You Are
We do not write because we want to; we write because we have to. ~Somerset Maugham – a playwright, novelist and short story writer who was reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s
8. To Learn and Grow
The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it. ~Benjamin Disraeli – a British Prime Minister, parliamentarian, Conservative statesman and literary figure
Writing is making sense of life. You work your whole life and perhaps you’ve made sense of one small area. ~Nadine Gordimer – a South African writer, political activist and Nobel laureate much of whose writing deals with racial and moral issues
9. To Communicate
Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow. ~Lawrence Clark Powell – a librarian, literary critic, bibliographer and author of more than 100 books
10. For Yourself
Writing is a form of personal freedom. It frees us from the mass identity we see in the making all around us. In the end, writers will write not to be outlaw heroes of some underculture, but mainly to save themselves, to survive as individuals. ~Don Delillo – an author, playwright and essayist whose work details American life in the late 20th and early 21st centuries
Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. ~Cyril Connolly – an English intellectual, literary critic and writer who was the editor of the influential literary magazine, Horizon
About the Author: Cathryn Johnson is a freelance writer. She is currently a resident writer for Accredited Online Nursing Programs, which researches areas of nursing education, online nursing programs, and healthcare. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, theater and having fun in the sun.
A Note from the Publisher (http://bit.ly/co7XCW)
I think these apply more to fiction writers. But, I still found this submission very inspiring because if you churn out words for a living, it becomes part of you. You are, after all . . . a writer. I write for reasons #1 and #10. Why do you write? Tell me in the comments section below.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Yuwanda, Lynda Forman. Lynda Forman said: RT @InkwellEditor: 10 Reasons to Choose Writing as a Profession: Inspiration from the Greats http://bit.ly/9zx8xt #writing [...]
I am # 7. Well, at least I was when I began as a writer because I wrote fiction.
Now, I actually write and get paid for it–u know, do what you love and you’ll never “work” a day in your life.
So true Tiffany.
Although as an SEO writer, when I’m writing about drilling equipment for cold climates or some other such mind-numbing subject, I’m “working”, believe me . . . for — every — single — dollar.
Oh, yes! I have my fair share of mind-numbing SEO too. It feels more like mind-dumbing, especially a lot of the new electronics. I write it but feel more confused than when I started. I love that about “write a book and then you’ll know all about the subject,” not always true.LOL
I can relate to each point, but #3 resonates with me. The quotes supporting #3 brings focus and inspiration to the reason I write.
It makes me feel good when I complete a piece, whether it be an article, blog posting, email, technical writing or any other form delivering a message through the words I write.
It feels good, because I pour myself into every piece I write.
If my writing helps a business grow, provoke thought, provide direction or inspires change then writing surpasses me feeling good, and I write because it’s satisfying.
Thank you for posting this inspiring article.
Marcy
Great post. I do falter on the path less travelled sometimes, but in the end, it is inspiration from messages like this one that makes me com back with a zeal!
-BrownEyed