Why do I write? Or more pressing, perhaps, why must I write. A recent blog post by Jeff Goins caused me to revisit this question. If you read Jeff’s post, you’ll see how he answered this question. While I like what he said, I had to mull it over and put it in my own words–because I am, after all, a writer, no?

Here’s what ended on the final draft:

I write to explore and discover new worlds, new characters, and ultimately, myself. The journey of fictional story-telling frees me to uncover things about others, myself, and the world we inhabit–things I would not notice in the regular ongoings of what often turns into the superficial, non-contemplative lives we lead out here in the ‘real world.’

I suppose there’s more to it, such as the enjoyment I derive as a story unfolds in unexpected ways–much as it does when I read. But there I say it in a nutshell.

Until I revise it again, as writers tend to do.