Why I Write

In the world of writers, I'm sure that each one has a different reason for being a writer. There are those who write to help others. And there are those who enjoy writing sci-fi, horror, romance, comedy, truth...so many different reasons as to why. Stephen King, his writings are often written about things in his past that has happened to him and just added more to it to make it scary. His Memoir is an excellent read. That is the only book I own of his. I'm not into horror books nor movies.

My sole reason for writing is, it releases the feelings I have deep within myself. Those are the pieces I don't always share, due to the content of the piece. I only reveal parts of me that I feel are safe. My other writing that I do, I often find inspiration from the things in the world around me. One day while driving through Salem, I saw an older lady, and she could have been older looking due to her living and life circumstances, pushing a shopping cart full of her belongings with a comforter type blanket resting on top of her things. It wasn't the most beautiful of days either. That picture stayed in the front of my mind until I was able to get to my computer.

A few months ago, I was at a restaurant with a friend. There was an elderly man sitting in the booth behind ours. I was sitting to face this man, my friend's back was to him. As he sat there, alone, he put his hands together and stared out the window. His hands looked as if he had many years of hard labor behind him. I took a picture of my "friend" and took one of him. A few weeks later, I looked at his picture and words came to me.

On Halloween, while waiting for trick or treaters to come to the door, I was watching a show on women who are on death row. One of the women they inviewed, she told about her cell and how all she has is a toilet/sink combo, a bed and a window. I took my phone out and started to write the words that were forming in my mind. After I got home, I sat down at my computer and wrote a piece. I read it in my writing class and they had a suggestion for one word. I was pleased.

Last week I shared a poem I had written in 2006. I was watching CSI Miami and Horatio Caine had just gotten married to his beautiful bride. As they're exiting the building, a shot rings out and his new bride is killed by a bullet to the head. My heart broke. I wrote a poem entitled But For A Moment.

So as you can see, I'm a writer for a couple different reasons. I write to release the stress in my life and I write in 3rd person, putting myself in their shoes and looking at the world through their eyes. I may have it all wrong, and that's okay, I just write what I feel. I'm not sure any writer has apologized for what they write, so I won't either. Just like I don't read horror, maybe others don't want to read what I write. That's okay. I'm not writing for anyone but myself. And if others can relate, or are moved or can become more empathetic because of what I write, then I have done what I was set out to do.