Why Do I Like to Write?

(My Cat's Feedback Revealed)

When I visit with young writers, I am often asked, "Why do you like to write?"  Here are some of the many reasons I share:

- I like words.  They are powerful. They get things done. They help people understand one another.  Words give people a voice. I like when my voice is heard.

-I like stories.   I like to listen to stories and I like to tell stories.  

-I like to read.  Reading is an important job for writers.  The more I read, the better I write.  Since I'm a writer, I get to read a lot.

-I like poems and rhythm and rhymes.  I like to put words together in ways that are fun to read and hear out loud.

-I like to learn.  When I'm working on a writing project, I usually get to learn something new.   Maybe I discover a new word, or a meaning of a word that I wasn't familiar with.  Maybe I discover something new about myself that I hadn't thought about before.  Maybe I learn something new because of the research involved in the story I'm writing.  Learning is exciting to me, so writing is exciting to me.  

-I like to teach.  My words help other people learn things they might not have known before.  That makes me feel good inside. 

-I feel like we all have important things to say, and when we take the time to say them in written form, instead of just out loud, our words, ideas, and opinions are more lasting and meaningful. They also can reach more people.  The words I have written have found their way to faraway places like Australia, Singapore, and Germany.  These are places that would be more difficult for me to visit in person.  Because I write, my words can go to these places, even if I cannot.  That said, since I write, I've had opportunities to travel that I might not have otherwise had (and I LOVE to travel).

-Writing helps me meet new people.  Because I write, I get to answer questions from young readers and sometimes get invited to their school for an author visit or I get to “meet” readers and young writers via technology like email, video chat or Skype. That's a really fun part of my job.  

So now it's your turn.  Why do YOU like to write?