The Writer’s Truth

By

Vicki Hinze

Why writers write is a question that goes back to the beginning of storytelling. The reasons are, of course, diverse, and as unique to the writer as the writing produced. None are right or wrong, only different.

REASONS WRITERS WRITE

Some writers…

• Chase the market. They write whatever they think will sell.

• Chase demons. They write stories to exorcise demons from their own lives, or from the lives of those who matter to them.

• Chase fame. They don’t care what they write provided it gets attention.

• Chase purpose. They care about everything they write for a specific purpose which can be good or bad, positive or negative. Whatever the purpose, they pursue it through the writing.

• Write to please their readers. If readers tell the author they want more of a specific type of book, the author writes them.

• Write to be heard. They have something to say for some reason (disclosed or not) and they want others to hear what they have to say for some reason (disclosed or not). Again, positive or negative, to praise or condemn, to enlighten or distract.

• Because they love words. The cadence moves them. The rhythm of stringing words together touches something inside them that makes them feel connected and a part of something bigger than they are.

• Because they love to tell stories. They can lie without condemnation or reprisal. Positive or negative, they love stories and the ability of stories to touch lives.

• Write for release. It’s the means through which they make sense of chaos, comprehend their world. In their writing, they right the wrongs as they see them.

• Write to enlighten. They teach and share experiences to offer others their tips from the trenches.

• Write to earn a living. These writers are admittedly rare. There are so many ways that are easier and demand less sacrifice to earn a living.

There are other reasons writers write. And for many writers, the reasons overlap or shift. The reason for writing one book might well not define the author’s reason for writing but the author’s reason for writing a specific work.

The thing is, all the reasons—those mentioned specifically or not—reveal the writer’s truth.

That is, the truth as the writer sees it at the time of the writing.

Truth is truth, we hear over and again. And it is. But our perception of truth can and often does change our understanding of truth. We might with every atom in our body believe something true today—and discover ourselves disillusioned tomorrow. We might discover our truth was based on a faulty premise or a lie. Based on a misunderstanding or a misconception.

The truth is the truth. It’s our understanding that is flawed.

So writers write for many reasons, and over the course of a career, those reasons change many times. That’s what makes it so important that when writers write, they write honestly their truth at the time they write. That’s the best any writer has to offer.

That’s the writer’s truth.

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© 2015, Vicki Hinze. Hinze is the award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels in a variety of genres including, suspense, mystery, thriller, and romantic or faith-affirming thrillers. Her latest release is The Marked Bride. She holds a MFA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in Philosophy, Theocentric Business and Ethics. Hinze’s online community: Facebook. Books. Twitter. Contact.www.vickihinze.com.

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