In the last couple of days, I've been asked by different people both why I write and why I read (a particular genre). I was surprised that I had to ponder these questions much more than I thought I would have. I am curious what your answers would be to those questions.

I write for a lot of reasons. I suppose that I write because that's what I am. I'm not sure what I would do if I didn't write. I have an incredibly busy mind, and writing helps me burn off a lot of my excess mental energy. I'll think of a single good sentence and write an entire story around that,or I might imagine one scene and then write an entire book so that I can have an excuse to include that scene. Finally, and most importantly, I write for the same reason that I read - I love stories. I get to share a part of my life with the characters, the author, and anyone else who has read the same story. Stories form the basis for human bonding and communication. When I hear about a good story someone has written, I read it, and when I think of a good story that I'd like to read, I write it.

That's it for me. What are your thoughts about why you read or write?