Passion for Writing

Why do I write? As I’m finishing up NaNoWriMo this week (see link for details) I am reminded that I write for many reasons: 1) the joy of writing 2) to discover more about myself, 3) thinking outside the norm 4) creating new experiences.

1) For the Joy of Writing—

This week has been especially hard as I am writing each of my daily quotas for NaNoWriMo. I have been having trouble developing dialogue because I am still stuck on the history and background of my characters. Since I am currently penning a mystery, I consider these to be some of the most important roles in developing realistic worlds, other than character development. I had to stop myself yesterday and remember that I am doing this because I love it. I really do. I enjoy painting worlds that previously solely existed in my head, offering them to become real to my readers. This is just the first draft of this new novel and I like the freedom to explode on the paper without a real sense of purpose.

2) I Am Discovering More About Myself–

While the ink is on the page I can knead into my characters feelings, reactions, conflicts, and personalities. At least, that’s what I tell myself. In reality, my characters develop minds of their own, especially if I have created a background for them. I enjoy seeing how my characters interact with each other as I conjure up conflicts and toss them into the story plot. In this current novel I have found that I relate to each of my characters in more ways than one. While writing I allow myself to ask me the hard questions and work out how my character might respond, whether good or bad. Yes, for me, this is somewhat like therapy.

3) I Am Thinking Outside of What I Normally Would Do/React–

Writing in the comfort of my house or in a favorite coffee shop gives my brain the freedom to discover new ideas. As I integrate characters backgrounds into the story plot, I want to create as realistic a world as possible. For this, a lot of times I must include hours and hours of research. A couple times in previous manuscripts I discovered something new that caused me to go back and tweak a scene I had written, creating a completely new plot line. In this way, my story can become more realistic and meaningful.

4) Creating New Experiences—

For the first time during this NaNoWriMo project I am creating my own world. It will be similar to earth, and will take place in the US, but I am going to invent a town that has a few little quirks of its own. I am hoping to invite the reader into my little world, creating images, experiences and thought processes that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.