Why do we write? Why does a dancer dance? Why does an artist paint? Why does a singer sing?

We write because we are inextricably drawn to it like a moth to a flame. We were often good at reading and writing at school from an early age and we got praise and reward for doing it. That was, however much appreciated was not the real reason for our scribbling, we were eager to tell our story, tell of the fascinating information we had discovered. We needed to read to absorb then to make sense of it all put it down in our way to express our opinion about the facts we had eagerly read.

The love of language and words, the meanings of words, the origins of words is often fascinating to writers. We love to discover new words learn their meanings and often adopt them as own. Writers often love crosswords, word puzzles, etymology, in fact anything to do with words.

It is a release of emotion , writing things down can make things appear clear and organised. Expressing your dreams, hopes, fears and anxieties on paper can help to clarify priories and realities to sort out which are real and which are unfounded.

Often people write lists of thing the need to do daily or long term to establish a sense of control in their lives. Writers often thrive in this sense of control, the world in which you write is your world, your creation, if you write stories events happen as you want them to, characters act in the way you want them to. Your imagination is your only limitation, it can be as restrained or unbounded as you wish.

Writers of facts seek to discover as much as possible about their subject then re-enact this journey of discovery for the reader, presenting it in an inspiring and engaging way in which passes on the writer love of the subject.

Poets express emotions to covey many messages from love to hate, peace to war. Their tools are their words which they weave to create an image of which they wish to convey. The emotional response the skilled poet can inspire is endless, tears, joy, humour, peace...... just from the printed word.

Throughout history people have written, to pass on stories, to pass on facts, to tell of their feelings. Without these printed words we would not know how they felt, how they lived, or of events that happened. It is the importance of writing and writers that pass on the precious world of knowledge, both factual and emotional to others, often hundreds of years after those words were written.

So when asked, 'Why do we write.' the answer is because we are compelled to. It is as natural as breathing; it is part of us and will always be.

Learn more about this author, Angel Quinton.
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