4 Reasons To Write

by Marie Vonow (follow)

Motivation (134)      Inspiration (66)      Writing (64)      Money (56)      Creativity (37)      Creative (16)      Therapy (15)      Therapeutic (10)     

Do you like to express yourself by writing? What motivates you to write? Do you write for money, for peanuts, for the love of it or as therapy? Perhaps you do a bit of each.

Writing for money
It is possible to make money from writing. Some writers make a living from writing books, short stories, articles or blogging. How much money they make will vary and depends on too many factors to cover in this paragraph.

There are books, blogs and courses available which go into the details of how to make money from writing. They explain how to pitch an article or a book proposal and suggest markets for the writer whose aim is to make money.

Writing for peanuts
Some writers want to make a bit of money from writing as a side hustle and to see how they go. They may start off writing for peanuts as a way of getting some experience and so they have examples of their work to show editors. As time goes on they may progress to making 'real money' from their writing and perhaps end up making a full time career of it.

Or perhaps they will continue submitting short stories or articles here and there for a small financial reward or for a couple of copies of the magazine they contribute to.

Some writers enter writing competitions and win some money, but of course not everyone is going to be a winner. There is usually an entry fee which needs to be taken into consideration when working out how much a writer has gained from any prize money.


Writing for the love of it
For other writers, their motivation is simply that they love to write. Expressing their ideas in some form of writing makes them happy, they love the creative process.

It can make a writer feel good to know they have shared useful information with others or made people think or laugh.

Matthew Nable, an Australian film and television actor, writer, sports commentator and former professional sportsman says, 'Writing is a very easy way for me to express myself. When I was still at school, I would write for no reason other than I wanted to write.'

Writing a blog is a way of putting your writing 'out there' if you write just because it is something you love to do. Blogging can lead to getting a group of followers. Readers may comment and provide feedback which can be satisfying. There may be trolls but hopefully the majority of comments will be constructive.

Whilst blogs can be monetised and there are bloggers who end up making a living from blogging, others are happy to just share their ideas without attempting to make money.

The advantage of writing without trying to make money is the freedom to write on the topics you want to write about and in the style you choose, not how you think will attract sponsorship or will appeal to affiliate partners.

If you are writing for a magazine or newspaper and being paid, the editor has the right to cut out or change some of what you have written. However, if you are writing your own blog you control what is published.


Writing as therapy
It can be therapeutic to express thoughts and emotions by writing. These thoughts can be about the beauty of the world and things you feel gratitude for. A few words can paint an emotional picture.

Just writing about how you are feeling and what you are thinking can lead to greater understanding of yourself. It can be beneficial to keep a journal

Some people who have experienced trauma find it helpful to write. They may write about some aspect of the experience or how it made them feel. They may choose to express this in prose, poetry or another form of writing.

What the writer then does with their writing will be a personal decision. Sometimes writing on paper and then screwing it up or even burning it can help in the healing process. There are those who publish their work in an attempt to help others or to educate.

Whatever your reason for writing, it is an activity that can be very satisfying and enjoyable.


# Creative
# Creativity
# Inspiration
# Money
# Motivation
# Therapeutic
# Therapy
# Writing

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