What Is It That Makes Us Write?

If you have been following and reading what I have had to say since the summer of 2020 (doesn't really have the same poetic ring to it as Bryan Adams 'summer of 69' does it...) then you will see that I have been quite a keen writer, both here at Vocal and over on another writing platform called Medium.

Anyhow, I rather digress, so I'll get back to the point.

Bunting, J., from 'The Write Practice,' initially asked the following question, "... if you're being honest, you would agree that it would be nice to live forever. But if you can't live forever physically, then why can't your memory live forever," some thirteen years ago.

An interesting question to put to someone when they want to understand why they choose to take up writing, don't you think?

So, let me tell you why I write, and what I write about, then, simply take a minute to search your reasons as to what got you started in your own journey of writing...

Since being a young child, I've hated school, right the way up to entering university which I then enjoyed (and that's simply because I wanted to be there, I chose to be there) yet schooling being mandatory, was like swallowing a sleeping tablet, I'd much prefer sleeping through those lessons.

Yet, the one lesson I thoroughly enjoyed, and quite frankly, was the only subject I ever paid any real attention to, was English Comprehension.

Why?

Simply because our class teacher always got us to write a story, real or fictional, along the lines of a title that she'd set us. Ever since those times, I've forever held an enchantment in that one area.

School years were mostly a harsh time of being emotionally & physically bullied by other pupils because to them, I was seen as 'different,' as I had been affected by traumatic brain surgery from a very young age. More on these two articles below, should I have piqued your interest:

But, why English Composition, what was the allure? It all came about purely because having a chance to write, helped me in overcoming the school bullies (oh, and the boredom of other lessons I despised too) simply as writing enabled me to stretch my imagination in positive ways that could 'let my mind drift away' from the not-so positive moments of schooling.

"Ever since those early times, the therapeutic value, that the art of writing has furnished me, has let me set aside daily moments through my day when I can release what's swimming around my head, expanding upon those internal thoughts. The sheer ability of being able to truly see, and read those words on the screen (or paper, if you're as ancient as me) allows for a mental ability to make sense of those jumbled thoughts that were crowding my mind- and to form a therapeutic moment of personal mindfulness."

JD Townend, 21.02.2025.

Below, is a story that I published over on Medium back in the summer of '21 (no Bryan Adams jokes, I promise...) and you will see after reading it that, alongside my school experiences that I could have done without, writing has become more than simply an enjoyable & pleasing pastime... writing has for me, transformed into a tool for accessing regular mindfulness.

Consequently, writing since morphed into a daily habit and, publishing on both platforms that have already been mentioned, I write on multiple topics from mental health to the depressing world of politics, and on to the more exciting imaginary world of science fiction stories.

More can be discovered from me on Vocal at the link below:

Even more of what I write can be accessed over on the Medium platform, by clicking the link below. Here, I also own & run four seperate publications too, allowing many other writers to write and join in with.

So, that is why and what I write, and now it's over to you all.

Why do you write?

and,

What do you write about?

Do let me know in the comments and share this story with others if you would be kind enough to do so.

Who knows?

Maybe, you might even be inspired by this story to go about writing your own too, about your reasons for writing?