Why I write - Part 2

"You're never going to kill storytelling because it's built in the human plan. We come with it."

                    Margaret Atwood 

There is no one way to explain why I write, because there is not only one reason for why I do. I could say it is enjoyable, or I could say I have always loved imagining and creating characters and worlds. How has differed over the years, and while both answers would be true, neither are complete.

As Margaret Atwood highlighted, storytelling is innate. It is inbuilt into human DNA, and has been a part of our culture and history for all of time. Oral storytelling was the original form of passing on knowledge and sharing information. Art as a means of communication and expression of ideas, values, and stories enriched oral storytelling.

Every culture on Earth have their own storytelling methods and rituals. As an Australian, it is important to remember and recognise the First Nations People's as Australia's first storytellers. We can learn so much from First Nations ways of being, doing, and belonging as we share in culture.

Communication is powerful, and it occurs in so many forms. Art, music, stories, media, film, dialogue, written text, imagery, and symbols . . . There are far more ways than one can imagine, let alone write about in a single post.

"Inside each of us is a natural-born storyteller, waiting to be released.”

                    Robin Moore, author

With this in mind, there are many reasons why one might write. Similarly, there are many reasons why I write. Honestly, too many to name. As such, I have taken a few of my main and most notable reasons for why I have chosen to engage in storytelling as an author, and listed them below.

"Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here.”

                     Sue Monk Kidd, author

There is no end to the constant stream of ideas floating within my mind. They begin as seeds and grow into a full fledged sprout, blooming under a caring hand. If left intended, they wither and fade, running wild and casting sanity aside. The characters live rent-free in my head, as do the themes, worlds, and struggles which exist within–running wild until captured on paper. They infuse with who I am, with my understanding of myself beyond separation. If I did not write them down, they would live endlessly in my head, driving me bananas. 😅

“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.”

                      E. L. Doctorow 

Great writing evokes a sensation in author and reader alike. I, like many, struggle to connect within the real world. My mental health often leaves me unable to feel (little to no emotional connection), let alone the difficulty I often face when trying to connect with adults. I understand children. I know how to interact with children, but adults . . . There are too many unknowns. Children are straightforward. They will tell you how it is. Unlike adults.

When I write . . . I feel.

It's like a fuse, lit under tender care, fuelling my need to delve further into the world of storytelling. And, that. That right there is a spectacular moment.

“As someone obsessed with and who writes small-town America, if you don't see diversity in your town, you're not looking hard enough.”

Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin

It is important for me to portray and share characters who explore the untold or underrepresented stories unfolding all around us. Literature needs to be an authentic look at reality, and it is a simple fact that we are not all the same. No one is a carbon copy replica. There are no factory settings dictating a person's life. As expressed by Julie Murphy, even in a small town, there is still a ever present diverse society. There may not be diversity within race in a certain neighbourhood, or we might appear similar on the outside. But. If you look beneath the surface, it is easy to see the endless pathways floating around. Interests, thoughts, dreams, neurodivergency, health, knowledge, skills . . . The nuances are full of life's spirit.

Literature and media explores more and more the way diversity plays out; however, many more remain un(der)represented. I want to explore those stories and bring them into the light within written the literary world.

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”

                      Louis L’Amour