The Drive to Write

I've heard so many writers in the writing community talk about hitting the waypoint of uncertainty. A point in their writing career where they wonder if they should keep going. Every time I see this, I can't help but wonder what keeps me coming back to write another book, another story.

What first drove me to start writing?

Well, just like so many writers, I was reading books late into the night as a kid and found myself absorbed in so many stories that it made me want to make my own. Reading was a way for me to escape and I wanted to give that opportunity to someone else.

My first attempt was on a small story creator game for our computer where I could not only write the story but make the illustrations for it too! For a kid like me, it was the best thing ever, having sat there for hours working and perfecting my stories. When I entered high school, I started to write my very first chapter book. Do I still have it? No way. But it was the first step to me knowing that I wanted to create stories that people could become part of the story.

Some people write stories that they feel are meant to be told, whether that be biographies or tales of fiction based on something real. My book Anywhere Else deals with alcohol addiction and its effects on a family which I wrote keeping someone I knew in mind who had experienced this.

Whatever the reason, make sure that if you choose to write another book or another story, you are enjoying it. Isn't that why we do it in the first place? As great as it is to gain a sale or a new reader, if you let that cloud your judgment over all of your storytelling, then it's going to show in your storytelling.