Why Write?

Most writers, when asked, will tell you that they write because they can't stop, can't help themselves. This is a great answer, except that they seem to have misunderstood what was being asked of them. The question isn't “Why do you write?” but rather, “Why should you write?” It's a very convenient, romantic notion of the suffering writer, who writes because he cannot stop, despite being ignored by all (I can't help but think of Dylan Thomas' “In My Craft or Sullen Art”). Unfortunately, this is useless, and largely untrue. No longer do writers have patrons, like Yeats, nor can any but the most successful make a living off their art (and do not choose their art over their worldly existence). Nearly every writer you read nowadays holds a job separate from their art, and although it may not sing to their souls in the same fashion, it is the lifeblood that shapes their experiences and, in turn, their art.

Yet again literature is struggling to reinvent itself. This is true in the publishing world, and in terms of the art itself. What does it mean to write in the digital age – and how should it be done? Both Ben Gehrels and myself are drawn to these questions, and through our projects, The Writers Block and The Oral Tradition, we are trying to find some answers to them. Literature is such a powerful medium that it will not 'die out' as some have predicted. The challenge before us is shaping its response to changes in technology and culture. This blog will provide insight into this challenge, and hopefully will instigate discussions and produce new ideas to lead us forward.