Some weeks ago, I was reading a collection of short stories: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO INTERRACIAL LOVE by Kathleen Collins — a black woman who died about 40 years ago — and a particular story felt familiar but strange. I could rip that story out, attach my name to it, send to close friends who proofread most of my work, and they would swear I wrote it. I would swear I wrote it too if someone attached my name to it and send it to me, it felt so familiar that I could own it. The words could be mine, the pace, style, mix of humor, things hidden in plain sight, and words repeated for emphasis. It had several traces of my trademark in it. Kathleen must have plagiarized my thoughts before I was born.
This made me sit and ponder, 40 years after I die, will someone pick up any of my piece and be hit with that same jolt of familiarity?
Will someone I have never met recognize herself from the words I glue together?
Will she read my personal essay and swear that I peeped into her head?
Will her friends bite an iron before Ogun insisting that she wrote it?
SO WHY DO I WRITE?
Linda Caroll in her beautiful piece asked Do you write for money or attention?
I replied that, “I write a lot, but hoard a lot more. I’m learning to publish more, give my words wings so they can fly and hopefully someone can see meaning in the garbage I have created.
However, I write because I love to tell stories. There are infinite number of stories around me, I hope to capture a snippet of these stories and share instead of hoarding them.”
There are many reasons people write. But that day, reading that story, I discovered another reason. Plagiarism might not be the right word for it. But when there is deja vu, when a writing seen for the first time is familiar. When two literary souls who have never met greet each other Namaste, thanks to words used in different combinations by different people.
When someone reads what I have written and without my knowing he recognizes it, even after I am dead, especially after I am dead. I won’t be here to feel it, but for that anticipated pleasure I will never know, for that butterfly in the belly that will never be my belly, I write.
For if I write only for adulation to be poured at my feet, why then should I write?
So Why do you Write?
This post was first published on the Writingcooperative.com
Photo credit
Featured Photo : https://www.treefrog.ca/why-writing-good-content-is-important-and-how-to-start
Embeded Image : TheIncurableOptimist
4unansweredprayers 
Dear Xceptional43,
I am pleased to inform you that you have been nominated for the bloggers recognition award by the 365 blog.
P.S. – I write because I love stories and I want to tell new ones and re-tell old ones in new ways
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“I write because I love stories and I want to tell new ones and re-tell old ones in new ways.”
Wow. As they say, meet the new boss same as the old one.
And Thanks for the nomination. I’ll check it out.
PS: Where is my 50 million Naira and brand new SUV? 😊😊
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I write because it’s all I know!
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Wow!
It reminds me of a quote by Scott Fitzgerald, “you don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.”
And when what you have to say is all you know, you just can’t help it I suppose.
And Thanks for reading Charlene.
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I write because I enjoy it. I don’t feel I have that much creativity, so I write reviews of things instead. I am practicing more with prompts and small stories, trying to get out of my comfort zone. The WP community is a great resource for that kind of undertaking.
Regardless of what I write, I find it extremely therapeutic.
Great post.
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Thanks for reading @Ares
I love what you said about writing being therapeutic.
It’s the same for me too, writing has been and will continue to be my therapeutic. Sometimes when I want to make decisions and can’t think clearly, writing about it helps.
Some people believe writers are born, I believe though some people are blessed with the gift of words, but deliberate practise makes writers out of ‘buffons’.
I would offered advice on writing short stories and other creative writings, but what do I know?
Anyway, the more you write the better you will get. It’s been working for me so far. And I find essays and short stories easier to write compared to writing poetry and reviews. So we are in the business of trying to get out of our comfort zones together.
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And yeah, the WP community is awesome. I did a writing course last year, ‘Blogging University 101’ I think. It was an awesome experience and I know it made my writing better.
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