Writing. It’s a craft I’ve had a love affair with for over 15 years. I love it then I hate it then I love it again. It’s a love affair that’s outlasted relationships with friends and boyfriends.
When I began as a naive, inexperienced-at-life 14 year old girl, I wrote poetry. Sappy poems from the mind of a girl who discovered boys didn’t have cooties after all. Silly poems that spoke of friendship and life. It’s what one would probably expect from a girl that age.
By late high school I discovered journalism. I wasn’t good at it but I enjoyed the process and found it intriguing. This would carry me into college a few years later. I had abandoned writing a bit for a few years but going to college gave me the swift kick in the ass I needed. It was where I discovered my true passion was in fact writing.
In college, I was a journalist for the campus newspaper. I started off scared, intimidated, worried I didn’t have the chops to handle it. By graduation, I was damn near fearless. I say damn near because I still had a bit of a pesky confidence issue even though I acted like I was a total bad ass.
Fast forward to today and well, you can see how it’s turned out for me. I did abandon writing a second time when I left my last writing related job in 2008 but came back to it in late 2009 and into 2010. I haven’t stopped since as is evident by this blog.
Today, I will proudly and happily say I am a writer. I am a blogger. Although I often go days without writing a post, my love of writing has not waned one bit. It’s still there, waiting for my fingertips to hit the keyboard and crank out the next post. And it’s that statement alone that gets me to think of just who I am writing for.
My good friend and fellow blogger Sophia recently wrote Why I just can’t quit blogging and detailed why she can’t quit even though there are times she wants to. Her post resonated with me and inspired this post.
She summed it up best with this short paragraph:
I’m not gonna stick to a schedule for posting, nor am I going to write for the sake of readership. I’m going to write about things I find interesting, and I’m going to write because I like to write, not because I like being read. I guess that’s the toughest thing for any writer, because the desire to be read is part of the territory.
Far too often I see bloggers get hung up with kissing ass to PR firms as well as both small and large businesses, seeking out free products to review and give exposure to. They’re out for whatever they can score for free just because they’re a blogger. And while there’s nothing wrong with wanting something free from time to time or exchanging the occasional goodie for a review, I have to question just who they’re writing for. And of course, I question who I’m writing for.
Easy answer: I write for me. I write for my love of writing.
We all know that so-called easy answer really isn’t so easy. Instead, it’s complicated. It’s complex. It’s a stinky cesspool of thoughts and conflicted ideas. Do you write for those PR firms and free goodies? Do you write for your readers? Or do you write because you know in your mind you’re writing for yourself?
Like any serious writer, I love readers. I love knowing someone out there is enjoying what I have to say even if I am rambling about things that may not make sense. I love knowing my posts resonate with others and they find value or usefulness in the things I say. That’s what makes it so complex.
Some writers are solitary and content with no one reading their words but them. Others; like myself, want people to read those words and find meaning in them. Or at the very least, find just one sentence that gets them to think, laugh, cry, or nod their head in agreement.
When it comes to why someone writes or who they write for, I know there are no strict rules. Each writer, each blogger has their own purpose. Some of those make no sense to me. Some of those I can relate to and understand. For most I simply nod my head and realize that when we have something to say, we say it. And for those of us who are bloggers, our place to say those things belongs in our own little corner of the web.
Who do you write for, if anyone? What compels you to write? If you’re not a writer or don’t consider yourself one, why not?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Excellent post Kim. To answer your question, I write for me, the newbies out there that are lost and wondering what the next step is to make they blog become visible. When I started I was completely invisible and I was OK with that until a friend wrote a post about bullying and it changed for me. I was so amazed in how others felt his pain and had similar stories. This had a very profound affect on my writing and how what I wrote could make a difference to someone else.
For me, writing for yourself makes your “story” genuine and real. People want to know that what you write has meaning in order for someone to say, “I know the feeling”. I loved your honesty in this post and I could feel your love for what you do. Thanks for sharing that with me and everyone else!
Sonia recently posted..How to Get A Custom Logo On A Budget
Thanks so much, Sonia!
I hear you about the “I know the feeling” aspect. It makes me see the person behind the screen is real and authentic. I relate so much more to those posts than I do to another product review. They have their time and place but it doesn’t give me a chance to get to know the writer. The stories people have that involve their real lives, their struggles, their victories, etc is a real eye-opener and helps you realize how valuable life is.
Lovely post Kim!
I write for me and to connect with others. I love how vast and interesting the internet is and how many people out there I can identify with. But at the end of the day, writing is such a person thing and I’ve learned that if I wasn’t writing for myself first then my writing and expression wouldn’t be a genuine reflection of me.
Jenn recently posted..I’m A Serious Worry Wart, are you?
Thanks, Jenn!
I’m with you, I really am. I love connecting and talking to people. You start to realize how small this world really is when you discover people with similar lifestyles, experiences, and interests. I greatly enjoy seeing what others are doing and things they learn that they share with others. So much fun. =)
Nice article, I really like the point of Sophia on why blogging. Blogging should be writing about things, which are the author passionate about, otherwise would be the text not so good.
Really appreciate and enjoyed this post, Kim. Wish we could talk in person about it sometime soon! Come visit me again!! >.<
sophia recently posted..Next Day in San Diego: Torrey Pines and Little Italy Farmers Market
Thought provoking post, I often wonder why I write and why I get so hung up over whether or not someone reads what I write…
Ego, I think.
Popped over from SITS…
Lattejunkie recently posted..Space Pizza
I totally agree! Sometimes, it’s very easy to forget one’s ultimate purpose for being a writer… My husband is my “unofficial editor” for my blog. He doesn’t really meddle too much, just checks it out to see if I’ve been posting his photos without permission again. Haha. He also asked me recently about what I want to accomplish with my blog right now: Do I want to write? Or do I want to be famous?
Thank you for this lovely post. It gave me the gentle kick in the ass that I needed.
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