fbpx

Discover The Truth: Why I Write and Why Now?

/ Author's life, Writing / By

Want to chat with Lou?

If you want to be notified as soon as posts go live, subscribe now.

This is not the same as Lou’s Clues, her mailing list, which requires a separate subscription.

By submitting your details, you’re confirming we may email you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Please see our privacy policy which explains how we look after your data.

Discover The Truth: Why I Write and Why Now?

Why Write?

Begin with Reading

When I posed the question, ‘Why write?’ I realised that writers begin as readers.

My childhood was full of stories. My most vivid memories are of the tales that my parents told me and the books that followed. No house we lived in would have been complete without its own miniature library. 

My mum and dad were both teachers, and reading was an essential part of their working lives. However, it was never a chore to them as they handed down their love of the written word to my sister, my brother and I. Their home is still overflowing with books, more so in their retirement. My dad, in particular, is never very far away from reading material.

There are children in the world who have no access to reading material, and I know I am privileged not to have experienced that hardship. I cannot imagine a life without stories and thank goodness I don’t need to.

Why write? Piggly plays truant, a rhyming story from my childhood
Piggly Plays Truant, a rhyming story from my childhood

I still remember childhood rhymes and stories and discovering that a book was a portal to another world! The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, The Hobbit, J.R. Tolkien, The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier, Swallows and Amazons, Arthur Ransome, Aesop’s Fables, King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table. I return to these tales like old friends; even as an adult, they never grow old.

Next, a Storyteller

When I became a mum, I embraced the role of the storyteller and experienced the thrill of holding a captive audience in the palm of my hands. Now my kids are both teenagers, they have entered that phase where reading books has become more about school work and passing exams and reading for pleasure takes a back seat. I’m confident that we have laid good foundations and they will return, as I did, with renewed enthusiasm.

My parents tell me that reading turned to writing from an early age. I defer to them about that!

A Career in Words

By the age of 11, my fascination with words had manifested in an ambition to become a lawyer. Many years, books and exams later, I qualified as a Solicitor and eventually specialised in representing clients who had suffered injuries. I spent my days with words; writing legal arguments and analysing accident investigations and medical reports. It was fascinating and exciting but, like anything, the day-to-day experience could also be stressful and repetitive. On reflection, sharing knowledge and expertise with others was the most enjoyable part of the job. The teaching gene obviously runs deep! 

Why Write? Why Now?

Becoming a Parent

When I had my daughter, I was fortunate not to need to return to work. But it was hard. Transitioning from a self-centred life focused on working hard and playing even harder to a quieter, more isolated existence. However, I don’t regret a minute. She was such a good little girl, fiercely independent and intelligent. Nothing has changed, and she has become a beautiful, multi-talented young woman who makes me proud every single day. Three years after I had my little girl, my son arrived and our family was complete. 

Wouldn’t life be boring if we were all the same? My kids are like chalk and cheese; my son is equally bright and hilarious, but he wears his heart on his sleeve and for him the world can be an anxious place. He needs more support, but his resilience and perseverance are mind-blowing.

I can see a time soon when they won’t need me anymore. It makes me both sad and proud at the same time. 

Ill-Health

The last few years have been difficult for me. I had a virus about 6 years ago which returned 2 years later and has never left. I have spent the last 4 years searching for an answer, been presented with many holy grails, all of which turned to dust. It has affected me both physically and mentally. The ‘not knowing what was happening to me’ led to chronic anxiety. I know that ‘mental health’ is the buzz topic of the moment and whilst not wanting to jump on a bandwagon I can honestly say that unless you live through chronic anxiety, you have no idea how debilitating it is. It’s a constant barrage of ‘danger’ signals firing from your brain; you feel you’re having a heart attack – pounding heart, sweating, shaking, dizziness, nausea and insomnia. It sucks! 

New Tricks

One of the best ways to counter anxiety is with distraction. If you can immerse yourself in something, you can re-engage your thinking brain and turn off the cave dweller brain ‘danger’ signals. I decided to learn something new as a distraction. It was hard, and I struggled to come up with something that interested me. I think it’s easy, as a parent, to lose sight of who you are and what you like. 

The one constant throughout my life is books. I wondered if I could turn that into a new interest and started thinking about writing. I bought some books on the subject and started my research. Coincidentally, in October 2020, I saw an article on Facebook about NanoWriMo. I had never heard of it, but it looked interesting. National Novel Writing Month (often shortened to NaNoWriMo /ˈnænoʊ ˈraɪmoʊ/) is a U.S.-based non-profit organisation that promotes creative writing around the world. 

Call it fate, destiny, serendipity; I signed up to NanoWriMo and committed to writing a 50,000 word rough draft in November. I had no story idea, no plot, no clue! Somehow, I came up with a story idea and reached 50k words. Was it easy? No, it was challenging and I’m still working around my physical and mental health limitations. Was it interesting and exciting? YES!! I’ve stumbled on something new that I find fulfilling. The draft is incomplete and, as November was exhausting, I am taking my time to reach ‘The End’. But I will get there. 

Final thoughts…

The simple answer is that I write because I love to read.

When I finish the first draft, will that be ‘The End’? I wish it was!

The beginning of the actual work comes at the end of the first draft – editing and polishing. That is the next chapter, not yet written…

What do you like to read? Are you a writer? Why do you write?

I would love to hear from you. Leave your comments below or connect with me on Facebook or Instagram.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to receive Exclusive news, insights and special offers.

Related Posts

https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/home/account/tag/manage?tracking_id=loulovesbooks-20
Verified by MonsterInsights