Do you feel a constant pull to write? No matter how many times you push it aside, the desire to write always manages to resurface. Many great authors have felt this compulsion! We can be thankful they made the choice to write as we benefit from their work and example. Maybe you also are meant to write, and it is time for you to discover the root cause of that desire.
Do you long to write because you couldn’t imagine doing anything else?
Michael Lewis, one of today’s finest nonfiction writers, writes for this reason.
“There’s no simple explanation for why I write. There’s no hole inside of me to fill or anything like that, but once I started doing it, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else for a living. I noticed very quickly that writing was the only way for me to lose track of time.”
Then something extraordinary happened. His writing turned into influence. Michael Lewis realized his writing could move hearts and minds.
“The reasons why I write change over time. In the beginning, it was a sense of losing time. Now it’s changed because I have the sense of an audience. I have the sense that I can biff the world a bit. I don’t know that I have control of the direction of the pinball, but I can exert a force.”
Do you view your desire to write as a holy calling?
Novelist and nonfiction author Elizabeth Gilbert made a vow to write and built her entire life around this calling.
“I believe that – if you are serious about a life of writing, or indeed about any creative form of expression – that you should take on this work like a holy calling. I became a writer the way other people become monks or nuns.”
She, too, influences countless many to live the life of a creative. “Your only job is to write your heart out; let destiny take care of the rest.”
Do you approach writing as a personal responsibility?
Malcolm Gladwell views his research and writing as “your responsibility as a person, as a human being – to constantly be updating your positions on as many things as possible.” Gladwell starts with a puzzle and stumbles around, searching for common sense explanations for everyday mysteries to update his perspectives.
Do you write because you are passionate about your message?
John C. Maxwell’s writings help others learn about leadership because he believes “everything rises and falls on leadership” and “leadership starts with developing self and connecting with others.” Maxwell describes his passion in life as “growing and equipping others to do remarkable things and lead significant and fulfilled lives.”
Chances are your desire to write falls in line with the ones listed above. Don’t push it aside and wait for the next wave to surface! You may miss your opportunity. As the poet Jack Gilbert once asked a young writer, “Do you have the courage to bring forth this work? The treasures that are hidden inside of you are hoping you will say YES!”
Why do you write? Share your story with our readers!
If you have a burning desire to write a book but don’t know where to start, click here.
