Why write? I'm sure there are as many reasons as there are writers, but when I was asked this question recently it got me thinking about what writing has meant for me.
When I published my print "Brainstorm" newsletter I used to have a column I called PS. The rest of the issue featured articles about being more creative and productive, but the PS column was more personal and I kind of miss writing it. That's why I'm adding a weekly PS post here at the end of every week, and the question of why I write seems a good place to start.
For me, writing has always been a Way Out.
When I was a kid, things weren't that great but reading was a way out and pretty soon I realized that people actually wrote these escape tunnels and I hoped maybe I could become one of those people.
When my Dad was dying of cancer, I had a comedy script assignment. At first I thought there was no way I could do it but then I found that writing it was a way out of that reality for a couple of hours a day.
When I battle periodic depression (not as frequent or as deep as it used to be, fortunately) the story world is a way out.
When bad things happen (as well as when good things happen) I think, "Hmmm, this is story material." It doesn't make bad circumstances good, but at least it makes them useful.
Of course there are other benefits that come from writing. When you get an email from somebody who says something you've written has made a difference in their lives, that's a feeling hard to beat. Or when you really get to know your characters and look forward to spending a couple of hours a day with them, that's wonderful, too.
I guess I'll add a tip after all: if you'd like to write but have stopped yourself because you think it'll be just one more thing to worry about, try it--you may find that instead of being a worry, it's a way out.
