Why do you Write?

[Quantus]

I like to write because I have stories to tell. As a child I played elaborate imaginary games and made up complex characters and background stories to fit into my imaginary world. I still have the imagination and still create scenarios, characters, and worlds in my mind but I would like to share them with others and see if they will get as much joy out of them as I have. I read books by some, certainly not all, published writers and say, "I could do better than that." I have loved to read as far back as I can remember. I loved a well crafted story. I love the way a good author can weave seemingly disparate parts together to make a seamless story. I love meeting characters in a book and them seeming as real as people that I know. I love all these things and I want to be a part of creating them.

^This for me as well.  My biggest roadblock is that I dont think in word, I think in pictures.  And not even useful pictures that I could do much in the way of Art with (its anchored in 3D in my head, and I can never manage to flatten it properly into a 2d image for drawing/painting type art.  And its pretty hard to tell a story with sculpture). 

[KevinEvans]

Okay I will admit it, I write for the money. Even so it only amounts to around 2% of my annual income, 10% if you count the tax deductions. Grin.

My wife is my coauthor, and she says that writing helps the voices in here head go away. Also it is something we can do together now that the kids are out of the house.

Regards,
Kevin

[blauregen]

I started to write a fanfiction in the DV mostly to strengthen my precarious grip on the english language. And because I really don't want to mess with established characters, I placed it in Europe, where Harry probably never will stumble over the places where my original characters interact with unofficial offshots of vampire courts, Sidhe and other dregs. That makes it an exercise in world building as well.

[Paynesgrey]

I have stories and people in my head who want to come out and play, and they won't take "NO!" for an answer.

I've always been an organized daydreamer and a big gamer.  Started playing A D&D way back in the day, moved on to MMORPG's.  In City of Heroes and Star Trek Online I found myself constructing elaborate character descriptions for that limited little bio box, and found myself getting royally pissed that I couldn't fit more in.  Then my fleet on STO started doing some literary challenges, basic stuff like "flesh out your character bio, explain how they came to be part of Project Christopher."  That was last summer.

My 300 letter in game character bio is now up to 30,000 or so words. 

It's on hold because one of the "Writing gigs" Kristine kindly shared got my brain hopping up and down.  I got to thinking about how (and why) people in an highly advanced society could be forced to rely on things like steamers, zeppelins, clockwork while still keeping a tasty hard-science shell.  (No use of Absurdium or The Ninth Ray Of Ether, for example.)  That story's up to 24-25 K or so and going strong.  Original characters who I created for The Devil in the DNA have jumped the fence, shucked their uniforms and serial numbers and are now running and frolicking in my own original world and story. 

I just can't not do it.  I guess my subconscious finally decided that the stories and characters in most games just weren't as fun as the ones gibbering and meeping in my head.

[meg_evonne]

I write because I must. It is simply in my genetic makeup. How it got there, I will never know.

[Gilitine_Memitim]

It lets me think through all the crazy theories and questions going around my head.

[Enchantedwater]

It lets me think through all the crazy theories and questions going around my head.

Gets the crazies out FTW!!

[Gilitine_Memitim]

I resent that. I retain every ounce of crazy, they just get better thought out.

[Enchantedwater]

I resent that. I retain every ounce of crazy, they just get better thought out.

*nods*

So they don't leak out and infect the innocent or so they leak out and infect the innocent?

[Gilitine_Memitim]

Maybe I should consider leaking some out *looks thoughtful*'

[Enchantedwater]

Oooooo, you should. *nods*

[Sir Huron Stone]

Or just keep it all in until your head explodes.
*nodnod*

[shades of grey]

Or just keep it all in until your head explodes.
*nodnod*

Always with the explosions.
I prefer the leaking out of the ears method myself.

[Sir Huron Stone]

Hey. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[shades of grey]

Hey. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If you've broken it, it's probably impossible to fix.
Unless you're a puzzle genius.