Why Do Writers Write What They Write?
The question of why writers write what they write 
came up a while back, when I caught an interview that Stephen Colbert did with author, Toni Morrison, a Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winner, who started writing at age 39.
Stephen asked Toni Morrison if she was undergoing a mid-life crisis at the time. She responded that her decision to write could be defined as that. She had noticed that there were no stories of how racism affected black girls, poor girls, and the hurt they experienced because of that. So, she wrote Beloved, The Song of Solomon among many.
I recently read, Blessed Are The Contrarians, by Rob Piccoli. This is a book of essays which raises big questions about religion, politics, nature and health. Rob is both a philosopher and a conservative writer living in Italy, who uses examples not only from his native country but also from America, as well as ideas from Montaigne, Emerson, G.K. Chesterton and others. Because he is well read and educated, he wrote his book because he could offer a unique perspective on the conflicts happening today.
I thought about the novel I had just written, and why I wrote what I wrote. A Cry From The Deep is a story of love everlasting, the kind of love I grew up with. As some of you may know from reading my blog, I’m a sucker for romance, the kind that’s respectful of both sexes. It seems we have less and less of that kind in films and stories today. The romantic dance of love that men and women are capable of doing sometimes gets lost in today’s busy world, in the liberal openness of our times, and in the overt sexuality in films. I’m not advocating for censorship but I am advocating for more romance in our lives.
I think I wrote the kind of novel I wanted to read. One where love, the idea of eternal love, was there. The commitment that kept a couple together, and I don’t care if they’re straight or gay or whatever, but the idea of love everlasting is one I hope we don’t lose sight of.
Why do you write what you write? What got you started? What did you feel you needed to say?
I never know exactly what I’m going to write. Just have loads of stories/voices inside clamoring to be heard/told.
Julia, that’s another way of doing it. I am so impressed with the range of stories you tell. And each one has so much heart. All extensions of yourself.
You have done a wonderful job in the romance department with A Cry in the Deep. The idea that love endures is a compelling one. As for me, I like asking “what if” and seeing where that takes me. It’s not romance, but I like to think it provides an exciting escape from the everyday.
Thanks, Jo-Anne. Glad you mentioned, ‘what if’, as it’s just that that drives many authors to tell their stories. I like where you went with your series, THE GIFT. Your protagonist has the gift I can only dream about.
Hi Diana – Thanks for the thoughtful post on the mysteries of why writers write. I liked your emphasis on the romantic element in your novel. I’ve made a posting or two on the topic and concluded – for me anyway – that regardless of the genre, writers have some kind of mysterious inner compulsion to write, and, contrary to popular opinion, the motivation is not necessarily financial! Julia puts it so well: stories/voices inside, demanding to be told.
Yes, sometimes Bryan, I think the inner compulsion is a curse. But when the muse hits, it’s a blessing. If the motivation was financial, I wouldn’t have chosen writing. I’m not even making a penny a word, but loving it all the same.
I’d be delighted with a penny a word! 🙂