Tell Me Again, Why Do We do This Writing Thing?

My thoughts are still marinating on the past year. I’m ticking off half-done accomplishments and not-so-successful projects. This type of evaluation can be disheartening, and seems all too common among my writing friends.

One such friend said recently, “Tell me again why we do this.”

I immediately replied, “We do it for love.”

Then I stole some song lyrics from “The Glory of Love.” (I may have sung them.)

The advice in the song isn’t half bad. At the risk of sounding corny in this post, I’m going with the idea of taking, giving, and of course, the inevitable heartbreaking writers encounter, and plan to apply it to the coming year.

Take a Little Instruction

Trying to learn a skill without listening to instruction is a natural recipe for disaster, yet it’s oh-so-tempting to forgo the process of continuing education to become a writer. After all, people start talking and figuring out language before they can brush their teeth, and storytelling isn’t far behind. However, for most of us, producing a great work requires a bit of skill sharpening. There are exceptions, but in my experience, to create words that connect with readers in a deep way takes a huge effort.

I suspect this is why my piano teacher used to say, “Practice makes perfect.” As far as I can tell, practice doesn’t always lead to perfection, but generally produces improvement in whatever I’m tackling.

Take a Little (or Big) Chance

From the moment pen is put to paper or fingers to keyboard, this writing gig is about taking chances. Even in the musings I share with no one but myself, the act of writing challenges me to think, examine my beliefs, and clarify those thoughts on paper. Sometimes this process shakes my world. That’s taking a chance.

If I want to learn and grow, develop the ability to create a marketable product for wider consumption, sharing the work for critique is necessary. This sharing business sounds fine and dandy until a mentor, critique partner, or random beta readers I connected with on the internet cut too close to the bone.

I’m suspicious of anyone who says harsh dissection of their work doesn’t bother them. The truth is, criticism stings, and harsh criticism can wound. Oftentimes, it hurts because there is a nugget—or shovelful—of truth in the feedback. Facing possible negative reaction to our work is part of the creative life. Without taking that chance and asking for feedback and opinions, I won’t know if my prose conveys what I meant it to. (Not that an author should take every criticism to heart.)

If an author is brave enough to share a finished book, poem, song, or article with the world, they risk rejection and ridicule in the form of bad reviews and negative comments. But there’s no other way to be heard, except to take the chance.

Give a Little to the Writing Community

To be successful, not only does a writer need to take advice, I feel they should give back to the community. This helps others and it helps the author. Giving back can grow a support network, and working with the right group is a valuable experience, propelling an author’s writing to the next level.

Give a Little and Adjust Your Expectations

I’ve had to give a little on my plans. My journey simply refuses to stick to the carefully plotted road plan. There have been detours, bumps, unexpected tragedies—and treasures—scattered along the way. As long as I do my best and keep moving forward, I can be please with my progress, even if it doesn’t follow the prescribed path.

I heard someone once say, “To get to where you are going, you have to go through whatever it takes to get to the destination.”

Let Your Heart Break a Little

Rejections, bad reviews, poor sales. Authors face all of these, along with long work hours and criticism of all sorts. If that weren’t enough heartbreak, in order to produce a moving story, writers must invest enough in the characters to make the reader care. Authors pour real emotions on the page, impart real messages that we may well end up crying over. Our hearts break over a topic or issue and that’s what we write about, because without passion a story is just a story. So why do we do it?

For many of us, it’s because we have a message, we care, we need to be seen and heard, to deliver a truth to the reader who needs our words.

And that’s the story of … why we write. (At least part of why I write.)

Why do you write? Leave a comment and let me know.

Donna Jo Stone is an award-winning author of young adult contemporary and adult historical fiction. She writes about tough issues but always ends her stories on a note of hope. Her novels are about common struggles and finding the faith to carry on through those battles.

The first book in Donna Jo’s young adult series is scheduled for publication in 2025.

Her short romance, A Wedding to Remember, releases Feb1st, and her adult 1960s inspy romance, JOANN: Apron Strings Books 5, releases May 15^th. Both are available for pre-order on Amazon.

Find out more about upcoming releases and events by signing up for her newsletter at  donnajostone.com.