Thursday, March 16, 2017

Why I write by Diane Bator

As I titled this short essay I wrote in our last HWG meeting, I chuckled. Memories of essays past when we'd return to school after summer vacation. "How I Spent My Summer."
Why I write is a lot more simple.

Writing to me is like opening a gift at Christmas. The initial idea starts off as a wonderful gift and as I unwrap, the whole thing becomes bigger and sometimes even better.

I've always been a writer, a daydreamer, a story teller. My life revolved around my ability to live a thousand lives and try new things vicariously through books and imagination. (You can see how I spent my summers!)

I'm constantly fascinated with a blank page or a blank canvas that I can create upon. Creating something that was never there before. I love paper and pens. The smell of a crisp new book off the shelf makes me swoon. Even the musty scents of a used bookstore sends my senses reeling.

Yes. I have a love affair with the written word and all of the tools it takes to shape each letter. My inspirations come from my life. My art often imitates my own curiosities.

What if?

What if a tornado hit town?

What if I dove off a cliff into the ocean and met a mermaid? Or a pirate?

What if I met the man of my dreams? (Don't you just love a good fairytale?)

My writing has opened up new worlds for me and introduced me to people I never would have met otherwise. I've done things I might not ever do, just to be able to write about them later. And taken things that have happened and explored them in a fictional way.

I would love to write for money. To be considered a "real" writer, but I need the distractions my life provides. The people and the experiences that shape me and my skills. I'm grateful to have a fun job, great friends, and many fabulous opportunities!

If you're a reader, keep reading.
If you're a writer, keep writing and never give up!!
Many of us have been told to quit. Told not to waste our time.
Follow your heart!!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Really good, Diane. There are so many reasons why we write. You have taken me back
to my childhood.

Sonja Wolter said...

Wonderful post Diane! It's true. Sometimes you need the "distraction of life" in order to write. If all I had to do was write, I would have only a half life. It's sometimes the people you meet, the job you do, the conversation overheard at the grocery store that can inspire you . It also gets you out of your head for a bit so that writing doesn't overwhelm everything. Cheers!