by Shannon Hilson

Created on: October 02, 2009

When I take the time to really examine how I feel about the process of writing, it really does bear many similarities to the way a drug addict feels about his drug of choice. I feel euphoric and alive when I write in a way that I don't when I do anything else. In many ways, my life revolves around the act of writing, especially when it comes to pencilling in time to get my next "fix". If for some reason life requires me to go too long in between writing sessions, I really do feel like I go through withdrawals and I become grouchy, sullen, or out of sorts until I can manage to get in some quality time with my word processor. The more I write, the more I want to write, so you could say that my addiction to the written word snowballs as time goes by in the same way many addictions do. Sometimes even the mere thought of writing is enough to get me high.

I have been embroiled in a torrid love affair with the written word for as long as I can remember. In fact, I sincerely can't recall a time when I wasn't writing and using journals, stories, random scribbles, and poetry as avenues to express my thoughts, feelings, desires, and imagined fancies. I will even sheepishly admit that at times, my feverish need to write has gotten in the way of my having a proper social life or attending to my responsibilities, although I'd like to think that I've gotten a better handle on that as I've grown older. Of course, part of the solution to that particular dilemma was to simply become a professional writer so that I could just claim to be hard worker when people tease me about spending too much time parked in front of my computer typing away.

In light of all that, I suppose that if there is such a thing as a writing addiction, then I would probably be a terrific poster child for such an addiction. My urge to write, to create, and to communicate through the written word is as deeply ingrained in me as anything ever could be and I literally could not imagine my life without writing as a major part of it. I know many other writers who feel the same way as well, so I'm hardly alone in that sentiment.

However, I think that an addiction to writing would definitely be the type of addiction that one could consider healthy, as it is creative instead of destructive. The act of writing adds something to the world, to the lives of readers, and to the lives of the writers themselves. It gives birth to beautiful stories, new worlds, and lasting legacies of inspiration. The ability to write is something that can honed into a great skill and even turned into a way to make a living and serve society. Writing is part of the wonder that is creativity and creative people really are the closest beings we have in this world to true magicians. I am so proud to count myself among their number.

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