This was triggered by Charles Assissi’s post and piece on ‘Why I Write?.’ It probably resonated with many people who are professional writers as well as some of us who write once in 12 blue moons.
Like the Cycle Agarbathi advertisement says, ‘Everyone has a reason to pray,’ perhaps everyone has a reason to write. (In an eclectic way, one can say writing like any other form of creation is also an act of pray).
Writer’s high certainly exists for me. Even if one writes only very occasionally. Though I don’t know what exactly it means, I feel it.
The attempt to answer the question of ‘Why I Write,’ is better done by starting with the question ‘Why I Read.’ While I will not know for certain why I read (the biochemical reactions, the neurotransmitters and all that jazz), the conscious reason is my attempt to understand the world. And writing is an attempt to seek clarity. It is said that writing forces one to think clearly. And it is true. There are many a time when there is an idea that I try to articulate, but it turns out to be incoherent. And then there are times when I have a point of view, and then I feel that the opposite of it is also true.
Yanis Varoufakis, the famous Greek economist and professor once said that writing to him is “seeking ways to disagree with myself in order to discover what my true thoughts are.” Isn’t that an incredible way of seeing it?
“Writing is not about arriving at an answer but understanding the question better. It’s that process of asking and not understanding too soon,” is what Katie Kitamura, the American novelist and journalist says about writing.
At the end, for me ‘writer’s high’ is the emotional state, and rest is probably the intellectual justification. (Charles’ view that writing is an act of bravery makes the high a little higher 🙂 )
Why I write can also be extended to everything—‘Why I Do What I Do.’ One of the most courageous perspectives I heard on this, is from the young, successful entrepreneur and writer Paras Chopra when he said that he started his company as a way to understand the world. That certainly is bravery!
One question that practically works for me in life is asking the question ‘Why I Feel What I Feel’ often. While I might not be getting the right answer all the times, it is a great way to try and understand oneself.
So, why do you write?