Why We Write

January 10, 2014

I have come to the joys of writing again later in my life.  During this journey, I read many different things every day.  I spend an hour or more reading quotes about writing, poetry, and different websites that are for learning more about writing.

This morning when I was reading from Writers Write on Facebook, I came across the Literary Birthday section for today and yesterday (I missed yesterday - don't know how).  Anyway, the two women writers featured yesterday and today really spoke to my writing soul and my soul of a woman writer of roughly their vintage.

I am not sure I could actually put in writing "why I write" other than if I don't it is like trying not to breathe.

Below are the links and quotes of these two women that touched me and hopefully anyone reading this post will find something that reaches out to their writing soul as well.  I have commented on each and these thoughts and views are completely my own.


Literary Birthday - 10 January - Dorianne Laux

From Writers Write. Click on the blue highlighted title to read the entire post and quotes.

"I write to add my voice to the sum of voices, to be part of the choir. I write to be one sequin among the shimmering others, hanging by a thread from the evening gown of the world. I write to remember. I write to forget myself, to be so completely immersed in the will of the poem that when I look up from the page I can still smell the smoke from the house burning in my brain. I write to destroy the blank page, unravel the ink, use up what I’ve been given and give it away. I write to make the trees shiver at the sliver of sun slipping down the axe blade’s silver lip. I write to hurt myself again, to dip my fingertip into the encrusted pool of the wound. I write to become someone else, that better, smarter self that lives inside my dumbstruck twin. I write to invite the voices in, to watch the angel wrestle, to feel the devil gather on its haunches and rise. I write to hear myself breathing. I write to be doing something while I wait to be called to my appointment with death. I write to be done writing. I write because writing is fun."

My comments:  I especially love this line --
"I write to destroy the blank page, unravel the ink, use up what I’ve been given and give it away."

I love a clean new blank page in my journal every day.  Most days I write to a prompt that goes with my daily writing practice.  Some days, however, I write to something that attracted me…a sunrise, the feel of the air on my skin when I go outside to take care of the animals, a sound I hear, a snapshot in time of my life at the moment…it may be poetry, a commentary, or a short story…that is the marvel of writing and how the hand guides the pen in the direction the writing should take for that moment in time.  I am continually amazed when rereading previous journals.  Many times I don't recognize the pieces as anything that I could have possibly written…other times I remember fondly how they came to be written.  Writing for me is breathing from my soul…the real me hidden from myself that is allowed to be drawn onto that crisp, white, clean page in my journal everyday to become alive through words.


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Literary Birthday - 9 January - Philippa Gregory

From Writers Write. Click on the blue highlighted title to read the entire post and quotes.

"Write the best you can -- honour your heart."

My comments:

This quote is not on the Literary Birthday page, but was quoted on FaceBook.  This also speaks to me because in writing we can only do the best we can an nothing less.  Also, if we are not writing from the heart, from some gut emotional reaction, to me it cannot be believable to the reader.  Writing for me is heartfelt emotion flowing like lifeblood from my pen to the page.

That being said, it is now time for me to write!


Copyright © 2014 Annie 
Always…I wish you peace, joy and happiness, but most of all I wish you Love.
As Ever, Annie

*Pictures, quotes and anything used in this post from Writers Write is the property of that site.