Why Do You Write?

James Wagner at Mobile has invited several writers to respond to the very basic question, "Why do you write?" The responses range from short to slightly elaborate. Derek White of 5cense and Calamari Press writes "to keep morality at bay" and Julian Talamantez Brolaski answers, "I write to save my ass!" Those responses resonate with us, but we find Kathryn L. Pringle's reasons to write especially intriguing:

i write because i am suspicious of words—often other people’s words, but also my own. i write to try on ideas and place myself. i write because i’m not so good at speaking. i write because i like to spend the kind of time with ideas that just thinking won’t allow. i like construction. i write because i see things a certain way and want to tell you how i’m seeing things so i feel a little less alone. i write because i want people to remember things. of course, there is more to why i write. i feel compelled. it has been a lifelong compulsion. and of course… when i don’t write… i have all of these same reasons for not-writing… which is also writing.

We don't know if Wagner has plans to post responses from other writers, but there's plenty on Mobile to read.