Why Do We Write? Here Are 4 Reasons Why

As I’m writing this article, it strikes me as odd that I’ve never considered the reasons why I write. Sure, I enjoy it as a passion first, and a craft second. But is that enough to justify why I spend countless hours writing stories that I’m not sure anyone would like?

When I wrote opinion pieces for my local newspaper, I talked about politics, the environment, the emerging cultural trends in my city, and so on. Now I’m hardly an expert on any of these, but I wrote with such confidence as if I knew what I was talking about.

In my attempt to discover what’s behind that drive, not only did I begin to examine my personal reasons for writing but also checked out the common reasons why people write.

Why Do We Write?

In my experience, when you ask a writer why they write, they pause and a fleeting expression of confusion appears on their face. Then they’ll shrug and say “It’s what I do” or “I just like writing, I guess” or any variations of those reasons.

George Orwell, one of the most celebrated authors in pop culture and political culture, said as much in an essay entitled “Why I Write”:

“From a very early age, perhaps the age of five or six, I knew that when I grew up I should be a writer. Between the ages of about seventeen and twenty-four I tried to abandon this idea, but I did so with the consciousness that I was outraging my true nature and that sooner or later I should have to settle down and write books.“

These kinds of answers hint at how the writing process occupies much of a writer’s life that it naturally becomes their identity. It’s just who we are! But let’s go beyond these surface reasons and see if we can list down some specific explanations to why we write.

Writing is an outlet for creativity.

When you watch movies where a writer is involved, they’re usually suffering from writer’s block or struggling to make it in their career. Then something happens and they’re suddenly overflowing with brilliant ideas and hounded by opportunities. They sit down in front of a computer, write a book, and get it published with acclaim.

I find that it’s the opposite. I, like most writers I know, are overflowing with ideas that we can barely keep up with. Writing them down though is the challenge. And that’s what writer’s block is, not the absence of ideas but the fear of not writing our ideas well—so we don’t.

But we also can’t bear to not be creative. Having all those ideas and not using them seems like a waste, so eventually, we write, however crappy it is. Then we revise, and so on until we arrive at something we’re proud to let someone else read.

And as writers, we are also naturally readers. When we’re deeply moved by something we read, we yearn to replicate that emotion into our own works. We explore the craft and in doing so, discover our own style and voice.

So not only do we write because it satisfies us creatively but also because we want to share the experiences we’ve gone through in our writing. We want other people to know the positive effects that stories can bring to their lives.

Writing is a preservation of humanity.

Like any art form, writing is a reflection of humanity. In times of turmoil, writers write about grief and suffering, and in times of peace, the advancements and general serenity of society.

People channel their emotions, aspirations, curiosity, and experiences into writing. In doing so, they capture the world as they see it. We’re able to visualize history because someone left a combination of characters on a cave wall, a piece of clay, or paper.

We know pieces of events dating all the way back to 3400 B.C. because Sumerians decided to start making marks on clay tablets called cuneiform. We know the human Jesus walked the Earth because of the dusty, old tomes that constitute the Bible. And we know the atrocities of the Nazi Regime because people were documenting them in every scrap of paper they could find.

This is why people are drawn to writing. As writers, we’re also preservers of stories, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction. Through writing, we hope to inspire and inform others and continue doing so even after we’re gone. It might be ego, or simply part of being human, but we want to be recognized and remembered. Or, maybe we simply want to ensure that a story isn’t forgotten, especially if it’s something that affects humanity in a large way.

So we write because it’s part of our legacy; a way to leave something behind that can hopefully be of use by succeeding generations.

Writing is an escape.

Reality can be harsh and writing offers an escape into worlds unknown and infinite. One of my mentors started writing because of a midlife crisis. Another writer I know took up the activity to balance out the pressure of her full-time job. A lot of famous writers (Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, J.K. Rowling) coped with mental health issues by writing.

This doesn’t mean that all writers write because they’re escaping something tragic or serious, though. Escape can also mean relaxation. You might want to temporarily forget about the bills, your shift for the next day, an argument with a loved one, and other simple concerns.

We channel all of these into writing because it can be cathartic. You can fully express thoughts and feelings you are afraid to tell anyone else. This includes things you might even hate to admit to yourself.

You can air out the fears, frustrations, and doubts you experience without fear of ridicule. After all, the words you write down are yours alone up until you show them to someone else.

We write because we want to forget the stresses of life; entering a state of relaxation with no responsibilities to hinder us, even if it’s only for a while.

Writing is an outlet for personal development.

Writing is as much of a craft as it is an art form. It takes skills and experience to become a great writer, two things we need to hone through continued application and learning.

In a way, writing’s not just about escaping, but also discovering. In the process of delving into our deeper being, we learn more about ourselves. As we learn more about ourselves, the better our style and voice emerge in our writing.

In this, writing can be considered a vulnerable art. A lot of our works may be directly inspired by thoughts, emotions, and experiences we’ve been through. This means we’re sharing an intimate part of ourselves with the works we write. That’s not bad though. The best works are often the ones that can connect with readers emotionally. And the more realistic the emotion they feel from our writing, the better they’ll understand our message.

But aside from gaining more awareness about ourselves, we begin to hone our writing and language skills—two primary methods of human communication. We master grammar, expand our vocabulary, learn advanced language structures, and other nuances of these two skills.

So we write not only to learn more about ourselves but to become better communicators. After all, communication is a foundation of human interaction. Through it, we facilitate the exchange of information and develop the relationships we need in life.

The Bottom Line

Not all people have a keen interest in writing. Some find it tedious or uninteresting, while others prefer to read what other people write. If you’re reading this, then I assume you’re the same as me: a person who writes because you love it.

The four reasons for writing I listed here are a combination of my personal insights and what I’ve learned from others like me over the years. Some of these you might agree with, while some you won’t. Your own reason may not even be on this list as it’s an extremely personal and subjective thing.

I think it’s important for a writer to always think about the reasons why they write. It’s not only a way to motivate yourself but to also keep you on track. Because writing involves a lot of criticisms and rejections, so it’s always great to keep your head in the game by remembering why you write.

While we’ve evolved in terms of style and forms, we still write about the things that have always captured humanity: love and hate, good and evil, and life and death being just a few. The reason is that writers follow the human consciousness—our collective thoughts, experiences, and desires.

We write about what catches people’s imaginations, affects their emotions, enriches their lives, and so on. Because ultimately, we don’t just write for ourselves but also for others and the greater society.

What’s your reason for writing? Share it in the comments below!

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