"I Write To ______"

I attended an authors' conference last week, with about a dozen panelists (myself included) talking about the various facets of being a writer - everything from writing to producing to marketing to promotion. It covered a lot of real estate, and could've easily been a much longer event. However, one part that was touched upon was the discussion about what gets you writing, and ways you can motivate yourself to get into that writing space. That alone could've covered an hour, but the agenda had to be kept so some discussion points were not covered in full. Therefore, I wanted to discuss one in particular that I think needs elaboration.

The main point I want is for people to think how they would finish the title of this piece. I deliberately said, "I write to ____" and not "I write because ____" for the simple reason that the second one is what led you to write, the first one is what you hope your writing process creates. So, without getting too wordy, what do you hope to accomplish through writing? When you create, what is the mission of that process? It can differ from project to project, and you might feel differently depending on a lot of factors, so let me share a few things about how different answers can be approached:

"I write to heal." I heard this one a lot at the conference, and it seems to work for those people. This, in a nutshell, is the process of writing through your trauma, your worst place in life, your darkest hour, in order to process it and better live with it. It can also be used as a way to help others by letting them know they are not alone, and what they feel you felt as well. It's very powerful when done right, but it can be tricky if not managed well because it brings the writer back into a very uncomfortable space. Veterans with PTSD often use this as a method of dealing with their experiences, and along with a lot of personal benefit from these soldiers, some brilliant books also came into being. 

"I write to learn." This is a weird one, as we always hear that we should write what we know. However, sometimes, when we write about things where our feelings are mixed, it becomes a path to discovering something about ourselves - how we really feel, what our other thoughts are, hidden meanings in things we didn't understand. When we write - and I recommend writing by hand because it engages the brain differently - we are processing every word, every point of structure, trying to assemble some logical order to things. As we do this, we get a new vision of how things fit together.

"I write to teach." This is similar to the one about healing, but can come from a safer place. This is where someone writes from a position of subject expert, letting their authority carry the message, along with any experiences. Not as exciting but very challenging because it requires a very persuasive voice and structure to carry the message. Ever have a really smart but really bad teacher in school? They knew everything but couldn't get it through to most of the students? Yeah - they're stuck in that pit of knowledge without voice. If you want to teach with your words, work on a very specific, identifiable voice.

"I write to relax." People who have this answer are pretty great because they are a ronin - a warrior without a master. Their writing brings them peace, and that's what counts. Bound by no rules, they write and are at peace. Good for them. Ultimately, though, I don't think I've ever met this person.

There are plenty of other answers, but like most important questions, the purpose of it isn't to get an answer but to think long and hard about what you want to achieve. Whatever you want your writing to accomplish is fine, but once you make a conscious choice to pursue it, it gets even better.

So, what do you want your writing to do?