Albert Camus once said, “The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.” Flannery O’Conner said, “I write to discover what I know.”

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

Authors across time and distance have had many reasons to write. Why do you write what you write?

Compadre writers, I had to walk around the block because the word “why” is a stop word for me. While I’m fully aware that the story basics are ‘Who did What When Where, Why, and How’, I flinch, without fail, at the word “why”.

It’s because when I was a speech-language pathologist who specialized in the toddler population, guilt-wracked parents always wanted to know why – perhaps to absolve themselves of guilt. A cause implied that a pill could be taken – or a surgical solution could be found if they just traipsed all over the county to find a specialist who would promise a cure.

Why, why-or-why? Why me?

Nonesuch, unless by a charlatan who charged bunches of money. The parents and I had to settle into the work that needed to be done. The trust, the bond, the conviction I had that all would be mediated if we worked together. I had the skills, the mindset, and the intention to do the best I could to help the child achieve his/her full potential. Trust me – and the child and parents did.

As progress was shown, the parents relaxed. Success built on success and soon enough the child exited my private practice.

Hope and Stability restored to the Family.

I do know, however, why I write the way I write. I write free and in a creative flow, a gift with which I was born. The essays I wrote gained entry into vaunted halls and respected status. I gained prowess and good grades with my collegiate papers. I write to show off the bodacious vocabulary I’ve acquired by being a life-long reader. I like to write.

However, I never want the stricture of clinical report writing I perfected as a speech-language pathologist. It was a distant and measured form. I’ve written thousands and thousands of clinical reports (and some of them contained fabulous fiction, to convince an insurer to cost the claim for my services) – and never want to do that again. While I excelled, I’m over it! Wanna read some of my work? All are available on Amazon – and all of them beg for your honest, positive reviews. Please and thanks.

Here’s the non-Amazon purchase link for I AM… a Character https://books2read.com/u/4XnO9L The final story is The reason why I write…