One of the first suggestions a veteran writer may offer to a new writer is to find their why. Even if the writer only wants to jot a story about Grandma’s trip across the country to meet Grandpa, or to pen a short book to give away to potential customers, being able to state the reason why the project is being written serves many purposes. And if the writer plans to make a career from their words, then their why is even more important.
For the first dozen or so years I traipsed down this author path, my why was about understanding the human condition. As a romance writer, my stories gave me a playground upon which to examine the scope of emotions humans might experience in different situations. I know I understood my characters far better than I did real people. Since then, society has changed. Some people express different emotions than perhaps they once did.
Of course, I’ve changed, too. And therefore, so has my why. As a career author, experts often say it’s a marathon not a sprint. If making money or becoming an influencer is a writer’s why, it may not be the touchstone they need to see them through the ups and downs in the industry. I still examine and explore emotions in my stories. But I’ve also changed my focus. Instead of writing for an ideal reader, I write for myself. I write the stories I like to read. I find it interesting, and occasionally I’m fascinated, with my writing process and how a story develops.
If my why in 2008 hadn’t been to investigate the human condition in order to understand people, I may not have written as many titles as I have. By accepting that shift in society, and within myself, I can have a new touchstone, a reason why I write, to come back to when things get hard or I begin to lose my way. Perhaps in another 17 years, I’ll have a different why that keeps me coming back to the page. Do you have a why, a touchstone, as a basis for something you do?
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