Why I Write: Celebrating National Day on Writing

I’ve always made up stories. For as long as I can remember, I’ve invented characters, imagined conversations, and created stories about the people, places, and things around me. They all lived quite happily in my head until, somewhere along the way, the characters multiplied, the stories got louder, and my imagination became a very crowded place. Eventually, I had to let them out. And that’s how I became a writer.

Of course, it probably didn’t help that I’ve always been curious about the world. I love discovering the history hiding behind ordinary places, the strange little details most people walk right past, and the stories lurking just beneath the surface. I can visit a museum to learn about the Titanic and walk out fascinated by a 16th-century Irish Pirate Queen. A few rabbit holes later, she’s a vampire in one of my books. That’s how my brain works.

I love asking what if? What if that perfectly ordinary woman discovers she’s anything but ordinary? What if there’s something supernatural hiding in plain sight? What if the ghost isn’t the scariest thing in the room? And, because I’m me, what if we throw in a murder, a few dogs, some wine, and a healthy dose of Southern snark?

But writing isn’t all inspiration and magical what-ifs. Some days it’s staring at a plot hole big enough to swallow Texas. Some days it’s rewriting the same chapter for the fifth time. And some days it’s spending hours figuring out how to murder an imaginary person without getting caught. It’s ridiculous, and I love it.

I write because I’m curious, because I love stories, and because creating characters and worlds gives me somewhere to put all those strange little ideas rattling around in my head. And there’s nothing quite like having someone tell me they enjoyed spending time in a world I created. That’s a pretty extraordinary feeling.

So, in honor of the National Day on Writing, that’s my answer to #WhyIWrite. I write because the stories in my head demanded to be told, and somewhere along the way, I discovered how much I loved telling them.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have imaginary friends to play with.

And if you’re a writer, I’d love to know—why do you write? Tell me in the comments!