by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: February 09, 2009   Last Updated: July 30, 2010

Just as painters and sculptors know wholly different sources of inspiration, so too do writers write for a variety of possible reasons. Writing is a very personal experience. It is essentially a way for the writer to share his or her thoughts with the world, to voice their opinion, or perhaps even to propound their theories on complex academic issues with their collaborators or colleagues. This means that contemplating why writers write involves considering the broader genres of writing to which it is possible to contribute.

The most common reason as to why writers write is simply for the fact that they enjoy doing so. They enjoy being artistic with words and with language. They find it a form of self-expression which may very well prove to be very therapeutic at the same time. One famous writer once gave an interview in which he compared the words which appeared in his head to rising flood waters. He simply had to get them out, down on paper or live on to a web page or site, or face a form of mental drowning in the rising tide of his own creativity.

Just as there are many types of engineers in the world, or many types of scientist, there are, too, many types of writer. There is the poet, who is often thought of as the dreamer. The poet is perhaps one of the most creative types of writer, who deals in concepts, perhaps rhyme, and the perceptions by which he or she views the world around them. The poet may be inspired by beautiful scenery, by love, by sadness, or by grief. They know not when they are going to be so inspired but whenever they are, their own natural expressive tendencies give them ideas and the words by which they can share same.

Fiction writers are a similar breed to poets. They are storytellers, probably from childhood, who like to create fictional characters and quite possibly a whole host of exciting adventures for them. Fiction writers are fantasists, perhaps dreamers to a certain extent as well, but are likely to be more regularly inspired than poets, as the words often come more from wondering, "What if," rather than observation or appreciation.

Article writers and journalists have a passion for sharing their experiences and observations with those whom they believe will be similarly interested. These writers are perhaps very opinionated, most often in a positive sense, but they can be brash and obtrusive. They like to tell people what has happened and why, perhaps suggesting a course of action for dealing with the facts at hand. This type of writer has to be a precisionist and know their material and their facts very well if they are to succeed in their craft. It is their logic, desire for knowledge and strength of opinion that drives this type of writer.

Technical writers or authors are perhaps the one breed of writer who may not always write through choice. This type of writing very often forms merely a small part of a wider vocation, such as in the scientific field mentioned in the first paragraph of this article. These writers are very often debaters, theorists who share similar opinions with others in the same field. They may also be teachers, however, who desire to share their knowledge with a wider audience and help to educate at the same time.

There is of course one other common reason as to why writers write. It cannot be disputed that many writers write to earn an income from so doing. The often unfortunate reality here, however, is that unless these writers also fall in to one of the general categories above, their chances of success in their chosen career are extremely limited indeed and intense frustration combined with abject failure is the most likely result.

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