The Reasons Why I Write

I have been thinking a great deal lately about why I write. A very small percentage of writers write enough books and make enough to be able to make a living at it, so it isn’t for the money. Although I care about people reading my work, I honestly don’t desire to be famous. Sometimes I use writing to vent emotions that cannot be released any other way, but that also is not the primary reason why I write. Surely it is just as entertaining to me to write as it is to read my books, but it isn’t the entertainment factor that causes me to yearn to write either.

I think I write because it nourishes the soul. It affords me self-reflection and exploration of thoughts, feelings, and emotions. At times it is like being able to have a conversation with myself without anyone thinking I am crazy. I have said many times that “writing is the one thing that when I’m doing it, I don’t feel like I should be doing something else”. That is definitely true. Writing gives me purpose and it gives me hope. In my works, I create the environment and characters and I determine every action, reaction, and outcome. While I often cannot control what happens in the real world, I have total control over every aspect in my writing. I guess that reinforces my desire for order, logic, and reason. It is nice to be able to bring order to chaos, light to darkness, and for good to triumph over evil.

To me, writing is as crucial and vital as the air I breathe, the food I eat, and the roof over my head. I guess the bottom line is that I don’t write for a living, I write to live.

Cheers!
~ Peter West

Stress and Finding Serenity

Alas, faithful reader, it is days like these that can at times make writing a challenge. Stress, in any magnitude and of any variety can lead to a lack of concentration and ultimately, writer’s block. Now I won’t go into any details about what is causing the stress that I am currently experiencing, but it is a set of circumstances that are beyond my control. I’m sure that most of you have experienced stress of some sort during your life. It can be crippling to the mind.

When stress is caused as the result of your own actions, it is easy to deal with. Deal with the actions, deal with the stress. When stress is due to circumstances beyond your control, however, it is a little more difficult to manage. About all you can do really is do the best that you can. You can practice stress-relieving techniques — if you are spiritual, you can pray or meditate; find a quiet place, perhaps a park, and get away from everything for a brief time for reflection; use writing as a vent for your frustrations and emotions; talk to someone about your stress to see if they have any ideas on how to deal with it or if nothing else, simply listen to you; don’t worry about it and realize that since it is because of circumstances beyond your control, there really isn’t anything you can do about it anyway, even if you wanted to.

There is a prayer that I have always loved. If you aren’t a religious or spiritual person, it can still be relevant. It is called “The Serenity Prayer”. If you are dealing with any stress or difficulties in life, I would encourage you to read this (or pray it) and take comfort. Things will get better, faithful reader. It just takes time.

The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
Keep your chin up. I will try to do the same.

Cheers!
~ Peter West