Reasons We Write

There are so many reasons that writers choose to tell stories. For some, it’s the chance at fame, while for others it’s their love of the craft. I’ve never been able to boil down a singular motivation for my writing. It’s just something that I’ve always liked. So, for today’s post, I’ll tell you a bit about my journey as a writer.

I was a late reader despite growing up in the “Hooked on Phonics” days. Letter sounds were elusive, and words were impossible until the end of third grade. I’m not sure which puzzle piece was missing, but when it finally clicked, I had an instant love for words. I spent the rest of elementary school reading everything I could get my little hands-on, and writing my own stories full of mischief and mystery.
Middle school soon faded into high school, and I was blessed with a fabulous English teacher. Mrs. S. was a petite southern belle with glasses and an adorable giggle. The best part was that she loved stories as much as I did. Every class felt like magic, as she peeled off layer after layer of the classics for us to examine and discuss. I knew then that I wanted to tell stories people like Mrs. S. would be excited to read.

For undergraduate and graduate school, I mostly wrote literary fiction and poetry, but I found when left to my own devices I tended to gravitate towards the Y.A. section at the library. It’s not that I don’t love the hearty stuff, but rather the books I can’t seem to put down at bedtime are the ones they stock in the fantasy section at the library.

I wrote four novels before I wrote The Curse Breaker, my debut novel. Each one has its own charms and imperfections. In fact, none of them are even in the same genre. But when I wrote about Eris trying to save her sister, I knew it was a story I wanted to stick with to the end. I sloshed through the drafts and mustered up my courage to submit it. Then I revised it a bit more before it made its way into the world. But now that it’s here, I find I’m even more excited to tell the next story and even the one after that.

I suppose for some of us, writing becomes a part of us when we aren’t paying attention. Whatever the reason you write (or read), I hope you’ll keep doing it. Stories are gifts, and each one is beautiful in its own right.