I don't know what it is specifically that makes others write. I think we'd all like to be rich and famous but if that's your main motivation you're likely to quit after realizing how hard the publishing industry is.
We writers obviously have a love for the printed word. We're usually readers first. But what drives us to put pen to paper (or to be more current--fingers to iPad) and create?
For me the answer is appreciation and inspiration. When I read/view/listen to some piece of artistic expression that really strikes me as wonderful it fills me from top to bottom with appreciation for the work, and inspiration to create something that will have a similar effect on another.
Yesterday I was listening to Adele and was amazed (as I always am) by the haunting quality of her voice. Her music feels to substantial, so meaningful, so much more than the rest of the current music scene. Yes, I'm a writer of novels, and it's completely apples to oranges, but hearing her creativity fueled m desire to contribute.
I get the same feeling each week watching the extraordinary writing on Parenthood. The characters are written so well that I feel like I'm watching a real family. It makes me want to write full characters and believable dialogue like that.
It's almost like a big artistic pay-it-forward system, where we all inspire enough to put forth our best and, in turn, inspire further.
Thank you, fellow writers, for inspiring me.
