Most writers I know, myself included, feel compelled to write. We have stories living within us, wake up bursting with ideas, and genuinely can’t imagine doing anything else. Writing is how we process the world around and within us, and most days, we feel grateful to call this dreaming and scheming “work.”
Today, we’re getting to know the authors behind Thriller Thursday with their answers to a not-so simple question: Why do you write?
Danielle Girard: “Writing is an exploration of what it is to be human, how to navigate the world as it (and we) constantly changes. There’s a quote of dubious origins (some say E.M. Forster took it from a book he was reading and then someone else rewrote it into the quote I include here. Ah, the life of words.) The quote is: How do I know what I think until I read what I write? And this encapsulates the reason I’m called to write. So many people journal to sort through difficult predicaments and emotions, to grieve from loss. In my mind, novel writing is an extension of that, but one where I get to explore “what ifs” that have never happened to me (most are ones I hope never do).”
Tessa Wegert: “When I first started writing fiction, I just wanted to tell interesting stories that people would enjoy reading. Pretty soon, though, I realized that the act is also self-serving. Writing is a form of therapy for me, as strange as that may sound. My books tackle my deepest anxieties head-on, but because I’m in complete control of the material, I can examine those fears in a safe space through my characters (so if you’ve ever wondered why Shana Merchant encounters so much trouble, now you know).”
Katy Hays: “Because I literally have no other marketable skills. Trust me, I wish I were joking! But being a grad student in the humanities doesn’t really equip you for a 9-5. Suddenly, your ability to translate German is way less in demand than was initially promised! So when I realized I didn’t want to move across the country for a tiny chance at the tenure track I was left wondering: what can I do? I figured I could write. The jury’s still out.”
Carter Wilson: “This is a question I ask all of my coaching students, because every writer needs to answer this to determine their level commitment. For me, the answer is, ‘because I can't picture myself ever not writing.’”
Greg Wands: “I write as a way to process my own issues and to make sense of those things in the world that confound, sadden, or disturb me. I find the process to be quite therapeutic. I also try to write for the pure joy of it. On a line level, there’s something immensely satisfying about shaping and refining prose to a clean, fine sheen.”
Lauren Nossett: “I wrote six novels before my first novel (really, my seventh) was published. This might be described as persistence (or better yet, stubbornness!), but many writers have metaphorical drawers full of unpublished manuscripts. I write because once an idea starts knocking around in my head, I have to let it out. I write because I love to build characters and see what makes them tick. And I write because I believe telling stories allows unparalleled access to the soul. To quote the poet Natalie Diaz, who articulates the reflective power of writing more beautifully than I ever could: The page has never solved my troubles, but the page has let me know them better, let me know the body of myself better through those troubles. Maybe.”
Wendy Walker: “I have always loved stories that capture aspects of the human experience. I love to hear them and I love to tell them. I stumbled into writing novels because I wanted to do something with a possible career path, and at the time there weren’t many options. Looking back, this desire must have been hiding somewhere, because I dove right in without any hesitation. It took many years to be able to write full time and now I don’t think I could go back to doing anything else!”
Lynne Constantine: “I’m passionate about it. I love immersing myself in new story worlds.”
QotW: How many of you are writers out there? What do you write and why? (Think of this as an opportunity for both self-promotion and self-reflection!)
Congratulations to Lori A. who won the free digital download to Wendy's latest Audible Original, Mad Love, by answering last week’s Question of the Week!
I identified with several of these reasons. I don't know what I think until I write, I have zilch marketable skills (my sympathies, Katy. My English degree hasn't paid off much, either) and I cannot imagine myself not writing. I've tried to quit writing before and pursue some other interest. I've had depressions deep enough that I literally did not have words in my head. In both cases, I was miserable and everyone around me knew it. So I'm back doing what I love. It's encouraging to know these authors' motivations.
I write thrillers to explore ethical dilemmas. Choices are consequential and often take lives down unpredictable dead-ends - we read to find a way out. What is most rewarding as a writer is to lead readers through the choices in the face of unpredictable chances and unknowable ends.