Whether you write in a journal or write with the intention of publishing your work, it’s important to know your motivation for writing. I ask this of every client I coach. Why write? Why engage in an activity that is inherently challenging and could be replaced by an easier activity? It’s an important question. The answer ties into foundational information about who we believe ourselves to be, who we are, and who we are becoming. It can reveal the difference between situational motivation such as documenting a trip to the Cayman Islands and soulful yearnings like uncovering false beliefs about money. Knowing, for instance, if you write to stroke your ego, heal, aim for a best-seller, or to have fun all influences what you write and how.
Tied to this question is knowing for whom you write. Who is your audience? How you answer this question likely changes with each piece you write. For twelve years, I wrote primarily about dance for a newspaper with an intended audience of dance enthusiasts. The audience for my first collection of poetry, Uncommon Grammar Cloth, was me. My motivation was to provide a home for the voice that rarely got heard, my movement informed expression. Writing the book contributed to creating a somatic poetics, which in one form another, continues to influence everything I write.
The past 16 months has been a prolific period for me, with the publication of books Her Body Listening, Ginseng Tango, and Her Body Listening: Awakening Voice through Somatic Practice as well as several articles and short stories. Phew! As a precursor to whatever writing comes next and give myself a necessary pause, I’ve been reflecting on why I write. A recent interview with author and grammarian Kris Spisak is part of my process of answering the question. Poet Jane Hirshfield, an admired poet whose response echos my motivation, says she writes to engage mystery.
I would love to hear how you answer the questions as to why you write. I’m curious.
I’m also putting together a newsletter to coincide with the release of my newest book. Percolating for the newsletter are a few ideas about writing prompts and body awareness cues. If you want to receive my newsletter, sign up here. You’ll receive no more than a few newsletters a year .
I’m offering my next Writing From the Body workshop. It will take place May 5-6 in Richmond VA. Go here for more information. If interested, sign up soon because the workshop will fill.
