Ten Reasons Why You Should Write

The basic human activity of writing is not only for those in schools and in offices. Although writing became the holy grail for scholars and secretaries all over the world since time immemorial, it is in fact a very commonplace endeavor that anyone who aspires to grab a pen and paper can actually achieve. So, stop worrying about that manual of style, forget all your fears and don’t waste time because, definitely, writing is also for you!

Yes, you’re looking for the irrefutable raisons d’être. Here they are!

1. Write because you have a message. That idea – no matter how simple – will forever remain in your selfish mind if you will not share it. Any story with the simplest plot or dullest lesson that you have should be shared with people because that’s your gift to them. All grand inventions started from simple innovations, anyway. Be generous. Go send that message and you actually send a gift. You will be surprised by how overwhelming their replies and their gifts in return would be!

2. Write because you want it. Even though some writers claim that they did not dream of becoming a writer, they cannot deny the fact that they are enjoying it. Writers want to write, that’s plain and simple. If you want to write then get the proper training and start practicing. But first of all, get the right motivation. I know a lot of people who were supposed to be writing but did not even finish a fragment because of poor motivations.

3. Write because it improves your writing skills. This may be another case of cliché that upholds ‘practice makes perfect.’ But the deeper meaning lies in your propensity to be better than you were before. So, there’s no need to compete with others. Compete with yourself. Strive to produce outputs that are better than what you already have in your files. You will be just right if you just write!

4. Write because it boosts your thinking skills. Do you think to write, or do you write to think? Either way, you always want your neurons to agree with you. Either way, it makes you humble and it makes you become a student again. Either way, you always remember the fundamentals that your English teacher imposed upon you: look for proper sources, cite properly those sources!

5. Write because it expands your network. Not all writers are emotionally intelligent, some of them are bizarrely introvert, and most of them are awfully misunderstood. But there’s no denying it: They are celebrities in their own rights and on their own lights. Whether or not it is intentional on the part of the writer to gain avid followers and to cement a solid fan base, it is just the natural order of things for them to get an audience and win lots of friends. Despite those haters and bashers, writers are one of the most liked creatures on the planet.

6. Write because it increases your income. Writing is not only a prestigious job, but it could also be very lucrative. You can think of J.K. Rowling, Dan Brown or EL James. But look no farther. Just look at those content writers working at their own homes and owning their time simply by reaching word quotas every day, and voila, a hefty paycheck! No sweat.

7. Write because you’re born for it. Some of the greatest writers I know did not receive any formal education or rigorous training in writing. Most of them are the so-called ‘born writers’ who just did what they are supposed to do. Did you think of predestination? Please go back to number 1 and 2.

8. Write because you want to be immortal. Poetic it may sound but time is fleeting and life is short. No one should be too busy and too bored in this lifetime. To live a full life and to be remembered, one must at least leave something for the next generation to ponder on and to be pleased about. This is especially true in this digitized age when we are no longer afraid that our works will be burned by enemies or destroyed by wars, and we are no longer heartbroken because of that emotive verse only appreciated by our singular soul mate. Bane or boon, today, the whole world can read what you’ve written. Now that’s not just immortality but accessibility.

9. Write because you want to know yourself and the world. The writing process is a spiral progression of outward impression, inward observation and back on the part of the writer. Writing is a very powerful tool for people to discover their hidden talents and unleash their potentials. It is a way for them to realize their strengths and shortcomings. It puts them into proper perspective. It is not only a mirror of themselves but also a historical record of humanity which they are part of.

10. Write because you want to make a difference. One does not need to become a country’s president or its prime minister, a captain of a shipping vessel or a captain of a barangay, a college professor or an A-1 student to become a catalyst of change. Anyone who dreams of making the world better, creates a plan of action, puts it into black and white and spreads it one page at a time can make a difference no matter how little. That difference which starts from oneself can only happen if one decides to write.