In his book Unleash the Writer Within Cecil Murphey opens by asking the question, “Why do you write?”
What he’s not looking for is the safe answer, the politically correct response, a blast of bravado, or an eloquent, but meaningless marketing statement. He desires the real answer, the truth—and as writers, we owe it to ourselves, to be honest.
I could say I write to make a difference in the world. Although not untrue, it’s not my primary driving force. If my goal in writing was solely to make a difference, that would put a lot of pressure on me and quickly sap me of all joy for the craft.
To be completely open, I have two reasons why I write:
- I believe I have something worth sharing, and
- If I didn’t write, I think I would die — first figuratively and then literally.
[Read my review of Unleash the Writer Within.]
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Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD, is a full-time, career author. He’s published scores of books, hundreds of articles, and thousands of blog posts, with experience as a publisher, editor, and commercial freelance writer. A passionate wordsmith, his goal is to change the world one word at a time. Learn more at PeterLyleDeHaan.com.
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