Why do I write? · 7:14am Dec 30th, 2015
So I have two blogs planned... one today, one tomorrow. Tonight, I'm going to talk about writing. What it means to me to sit in front of a keyboard and across a blank page and just type away. I warn you, it might get sappy.
There is a moment, when you're writing stories when you forget the world around you. It's not just taking it seriously, or trying to tell a story... you immerse yourself in the writing, the walls cease to exist, the page is less a blank space to fill with words and more a surrounding of sorts where the voices of the characters that need to be heard start filling every nook and crany.
You stop the nagging from outside. Your mind is filled with a vision, not... like a cartoon or movie even, just this sense of how things flow in your story, how the characters interact. You shudder when your character does. You tear up when they're emotional. You gulp when they're nervous, smile when they're telling a joke and hold your breath while they fight.
This place is strange. It's almost like you're floating in the æther and the story is the current of energy that drives you to share it. It's beyond inspiration—that can be a start, but it's not this fantastic moment... not this high of losing yourself in the narrative.
You see, I'm very lucky here in fimfic. I have accumulated a lot of followers, and hopefully I do right by them with my stories, blogs and moderating. Or I try at least... I've been accused of seeking fame, or that I just want attention... it's kinda amusing, given how long I've been doing this.
Am I grateful? Oh yes. Extremely so, that my words are read and shared and talked about... well, what author doesn't want that? But I didn't come to this fandom seeking fame.
I came here because I had a story to tell about Twilight, Celestia and Luna. How many people read it was inconsequential. I needed to tell that story. It was floating around in my head, character voices permeated my skin, my fingers itched to type away the currents of imagination and inspiration that carried me and kept me up at night thinking about these newly-discovered equines of colorful coats, manes and tattooed plots.
It's rare to get this feeling. This "high of creativity" that pushed The Empty Room out of my mind. Maybe it was that I was about to become a father, and I had a lot of subconscious issues with being adopted. Maybe it was the fear of coming home and then finding that empty crib. Whatever the reason that fed those moments of perfect writing immersion, I still seek them.
Sometimes I find them in short stories. Sometimes, through the smoke and the imaginary silence after salvo and—the also imaginary—smell of gunpowder I find myself lost in that space.
Why do I write the stories I write here? Because I'm in love with that moment.
You know the moment. When I'm listening to Twilight and Wrex argue. When Octavia is playing for other musicians in an enchanted, haunted castle. When Sweetie is soul-searching as the universe around her tosses her from place to place. When Rarity sets hoof on the road for the first time with Gaius. When another Octavia must confront her family. When Diamond Tiara finds out Silver Spoon and Scootaloo are a couple. When Chrysalis and Rarity rediscover their kinship. When Rainbow Dash is losing herself in the stars and only Applejack can save her...
I love writing. I love sharing the stories that drag me into this whirlpool of possibility and I love getting goosebumps and shivers and feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end because so much is happening, so many things, flavors, smells, situations—worlds. So many worlds are taking me in and letting me see into them in my own unique way.
Writing is my voice giving action and form to these quasi-astral visions. My words are often lacking to even portray exactly what it is that I'm seeing, but that's okay too. It's a rush, you see... the climbing into the air, clawing, trying to bring a semblance of pacing and sense to that peak of adrenaline-like explosion.
I'm glad I can share these stories with you, to more or less success and interest. I'm giving it my all and it really makes me happy and beyond that, I find myself in that place and the world can melt into stories.
~WD
Wow, that's amazing.
Yeah, there's something special about sharing ones stories with others and putting ideas into prose. Whether it's about ponies, an original setting, or everything in between, crafting such tales and worlds is a magical moment. And thank you for sharing these wonderful stories with us as well. Of the stories I've read that you've written, I loved all of them and am always eager to see what you come up with next. I wish you the best of luck in your future writing projects!
Simply Beautiful!
I'm not sure what you mean by this, but I'm sure curious to find out.
~Leonzilla
The world would be a really boring and empty if People did not create and share stories.
Okay, that's just... wow. And I think you just inspired me a bit to write. So thanks. ;)
I get this sort of thing when I read. It's one of my favorite things. I imagine it's just that much better while writing.
Well said.
I believe the specific feeling you're describing is called flow? Whatever it is, it's something that I think a lot of people writing on this website would recognize on at least some level, and you've described it very beautifully here. I can sure as hell relate to this!
For me personally, I guess the reason I write is because… I simply couldn’t imagine not writing? Does that make sense? Putting aside the highs, there are times when it can be a bit of a chore – but it’s always worth persevering, because there’s no better feeling than someone telling you that they enjoyed your work. If I were to suddenly give it up, my life would be missing something incredibly important. Something I don't think could ever be filled by anything else.
... Well, and if I'm being really honest, it would be quite nice to make money off it one day. But I’m getting way ahead of myself here
I started writing before mlp but published nothing online. It was the start of a fanfic that was about the main character of "Baldur's Gate 2" and his ascension to godhood with his family.
I write because I want to live an adventure a passionate life full of wonders and magic. To fly in a world where everything is magical.