Oh, for about a gazillion reasons! Some serious, lots of goofy ones too. And we really all may be crazy to boot :). But whether a famous Texas author or a not-so-famous one from Brazil, the reasons writers write are as unique and personal as each one penning something on the page.

Here’s a short list:


They have something to say

We all do, no? Writers just actually put it on paper.

They love books and words

Oh, God, I hope we all do!

To help them make sense of some event in their lives

Even Hemingway said he got over a lot of things by writing them out.

To change the world (yep, insane as that might sound!)

You have to be somewhat starry eyed to do this!

It’s such a glamorous life

LOL!

To see their names in print

Some arrogance actually helps you stay in this crazy game.

To become rich

Double LOL!

To be read

Ahhh, how writers love when people read their books!

          Even more when they review! We can live off of a good review for a long time.

To leave something tangible at the end of this life

We all want that, no? Some marker that says, “I was here.” 

Because they must

And of course, an entire litany of reasons exist.

Funny thing, this writing life. You actually spend the vast majority of it (99.9%) in your quiet, hopefully well-lighted room, as Hemingway called it. Alone. In solitary confinement.

The writing itself just has to be done in silence.

But also funny enough, it’s that other .1% that takes out most writers. The querying of agents. If you do sign with one (the vast majority of writers never do), then the agent querying publishers. All the rejections that come with this. Then, after publication, the criticism in negative reviews.

And that doesn’t even mention all the promotion, which is an entire job in itself.

Putting your baby out into the world is always a humbling experience. Even for the most famous Texas authors, and those from around the world, working today.

Because no writer is every reader’s cup of tea.

Often, it’s awkward for friends and/or family to read an author’s book. They hesitate, because, well, they just didn’t like it. And this most often comes back to they prefer other genres. Which is perfectly fine. If you love Chinese food and hate Mexican and I take you to Joe T. Garcia’s, I won’t be surprised when you complain J

Likewise, if you normally read Category Romance, or Spy Thrillers, or Sci/Fi, or Cozy Mysteries, you’re not gonna like my books very much.  It’s okay! I already know that.

Rejection is a given in this business. Writers write despite it.

What authors strive for is to find their audience. To reach those who do read in their genre. All we ask for is that those folks find us, and give us a read. Wherever those chips fall, well, is where they fall.

We’ll beg for your review anyway