Why do you write?

Perhaps I ask too many questions but I have always wanted to know the reasons why people do things. What turns someone who loves to read into a writer? I know I am driven to write, even when I yearn to relax I find myself writing. If there is no keyboard, then any scrap of paper will do. However why I write is more than a simple compulsion. Often before I begin writing a story, my characters appear unplanned and definitely uninvited by me. They hound me barging into my mind, nor are they easily dismissed from thought.

I have always written for many purposes but I did not decide I wanted to be an author or novelist. I was dared to write my first book. It was meant to be one single volume, yet I have never truly stopped writing since. Would I have gone in another direction without that dare? That is another question I cannot answer. I believe I would still write, although my output might be different. I have never been convinced by the concept of coincidence, but I also refuse to accept fate. Something in my essence is determined to write and my inspirations are far from subtle.

Poetry, I never wanted to write poetry. Then one morning three years ago I awoke and I had a poem in my head. I assumed the poem would be a one off, but they have continued to pour out unchecked. Why suddenly I should start writing poetry remains an insoluble enigma to me. After two years I decided I had better learn something about poetry since I kept writing it, so I have attended some workshops and tried out some classical poetry forms. I think I will continue learning and writing poetry for a long time.

What surprised me is the other aspects of my writing life have benefitted from what I considered a strange foible. Before when I read through a sentence and decided it did not work, I would not know why. The awkwardness of not knowing why it was unsatisfying continued to infuriate me, but I changed what I knew instinctively did not work. Now I am frequently aware that the only reason I am changing a sentence is because the rhythm of the words jarred. I sometimes identify exactly which word does not fit my imaginary beat.

My desire to write is underpinned by my love affair with the English language. I love how it can be manipulated to precise clarity or to shroud ideas with ambiguity providing multiple possible interpretations. When words are combined they create something magnificent and unique. The slightest change to writing transforms it into something new. My lifetime fascination with words encompasses all aspects of expression from the emotive power of song lyrics, the musicality of speech, the rhythm of poetry and all the multi-faceted diversity of prose. It amazes me how people can treat language so thoughtlessly and miss the pleasure it can give.

I was a lazy student at school which frustrated my teachers as they knew it was not lack of ability. My school had a cruel and unusual punishment; I would be directed to write out a thousand words starting at the letter ‘K’, complete with the dictionary definitions. The letter varied with the teacher’s mood, as did the quantity. My most heinous offence generated five thousand words starting at the letter ‘M.’ It increased your vocabulary and improved your writing at speed. It definitely engraved the idea of how important the teacher considered getting homework on time although it did not make me want to do the homework. Even then I found words enthralling and copying from a large dictionary I often slowed to read alternative meanings for words which I did not need to copy.

I have asked some of my writing friends why they feel impelled to write. Not one of them mentioned hopes for fame, literary glory or even financial remuneration in their replies. One who is a performance poet, honestly admitted to getting a buzz from the audience’s applause. The most common response is that they write because they have to and could not stop if they wished to. Others like me write because their characters will demand to be written about. A non-fiction writer admitted that she wrote to share what she had learned and that her writing helped her personally as well. My curiosity remains unsatisfied, if you are a writer, why do you write?

The Fencing Master’s Daughter

by Giselle Marks

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