The Most Important Question Every Writer Should Ask Themselves

You clicked on this article so you are either a writer, someone who wants to be a writer, or someone who was pulled in by the headline needing to know the answer about what question a writer should be asking themselves. 

Well welcome in, pull up a chair there is plenty of room for everyone. 

Now I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Are you ready for the question?

Why?

There it is plain and simple. 

Every writer should always be asking themselves why. 

This also applies to those that want to write.

Why do you write? If you haven't written yet, why do you want to? Why are you waiting for the right time to start when that time is now? Why aren't you working on your writing at this moment instead of worrying about what question you should be asking yourself? Why do you keep writing even when it feels like an uphill race against the world?

You'll need these answers to keep you going when you have those bad days when you want to just take your computer and chuck it out the third-floor window. (I know it's not just me that has those days. Right?)

You can also take this question and apply it to your stories. Why does my main character want what they want? Why is something always seeming to get in their way? Why is this the story that you want to be telling?

When asking yourself why this is the story you want to be telling keep going to as yourself why is it important to you. Did someone tell you it was a good idea? Did the spark of inspiration hit you over the head like a computer conveniently falling out of a third-floor window onto the villain who is attempting to stop the hero? 

There is no one more distracted by the idea of shiny things, (meaning new ideas to write about) than a writer. Remember the answer to this why when you get the hinting for a new story while your other one lays before you unfinished and gathering dust in your desk drawer or in that special spot in your mind where it loves to hide out and eat all of your snacks. 

Finish your first why and then move on to the next.

Asking yourself why when it comes to why you write, why you want to write, or why it's important for you to keep on writing will help you keep in mind the bigger picture. 

I write because I have to share with the world the things that go on in my head and I need a lot more space than a Twitter post. 

I continue to write because I don't know what I would do with myself if I didn't. Maybe I would work for the post office like my mom who not so subtly brings it up every time I talk to her. Maybe I would go mad until I became a villain chasing down the hero until I'm stopped by an ill-timed falling computer. 

Find your why's and hold them close. 

Not only will there be others you will be asking for your why when they can't understand why you would choose writing over something more sensible, like letter carrying, but you will ask yourself this question more times than you would think possible. 

Now why are you still here?

Why aren't you writing?

Get to it.

Why?

Because I believe in you and I can't wait to read your why.

With love, 

B. King xo xo

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