5 Reasons You Should Write

Last updated on: January 31, 2025 at 1:44 pm by Ken Shelton

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5 Reasons You Should Write 2025-01-31T13:44:56-05:00 Ken Shelton

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5 Reasons You Should Write is not about writing perfectly, or even writing well. Rather, it is about the importance and urgency of preserving your story. Things like your first kiss, getting married, a newborn baby, a spiritual experience, a career move, and all of the joyous things that life has to offer. But it is equally about the bad breakup, the rebellious child, the lost job, living with anxiety, and ultimately the process of dying. But that’s not all. Writing is your chance to tell your story, or any part of it. You get to write about the lousy boss, the abusive parent or spouse, the person who abused you or abandoned you. It’s your chance to lay it all out there, to get it off your chest and onto paper.

You Should Write Because You Can

The first of the 5 reasons you should write is simply because you can. If you are reading this, then there’s a good chance you’ve thought about or even tried writing but you didn’t stick with it. In the article titled, All Beginner Writers Face The Same 10 Problems (Here’s How To Fix Them), Nicolas Cole suggests that all writers struggle with the same 10 things.

Distractions: TV, family, phone, social media, housework. Many writers have ADHD, but it can be an advantage.
Over-editing: Deciding on words, sentence length, grammar, punctuation, finding your voice, it’s easy to over-edit.
Perfectionism: Usually a parent’s or teacher’s voice in your head. Sometimes it’s just you trying to sabotage your work.
Procrastination: Humans procrastinate for various reasons. A writers reasons tend to be more specific.
Self-confidence: Past failures, past critics, analysis paralysis, comparison to other writers. Low self-confidence is common.
Generating Ideas: Fad themes, what do people want, pleasing the unknown publisher. There are better ways to find ideas.
Imposter Syndrome: I’m a fraud, nobody will believe me, who cares what I have to say. It’s not just you.
Writing Consistently: I’m waiting for inspiration, where is my muse, I’ll write tomorrow. Here are ways to get it done.
Choosing a Platform: Should I write online? There are plenty of online platforms to help you decide.
Finding Time to Write: Is your life so fast-paced you doubt you have the time? Here is quick but sound advice to find time.

You Should Write Because Nobody Cares: So You Should Care!

This is 1 of the most important of the 5 reasons you should write. Here is the complete sentence by author and teacher Anne Lamott: “Nobody cares if you write another word. So YOU have to care.” You are the only one who can tell your story truthfully, and there are people who need to hear it. While it may be true that you’re unaware of those who care if you write, it’s also true that there are people who need you. Your family, friends, and people you’ve never met. They need to learn from what you have to say, they just don’t know it yet.

I once walked into a new chiropractor’s office and discovered we have the same birthday. I don’t know why I felt like I should go there. No one had recommended him to me and there are plenty of chiropractors in our town. So what?! Consider this: “In a room of just 23 people there’s a 50-50 chance of at least two people having the same birthday. In a room of 75 there’s a 99.9% chance of at least two people matching.” With those odds, there’s a good chance that someone is facing a situation that you’ve successfully navigated. Sell them a book!

Time and Memories Image Credit: Spinxh21

You Should Write Because Time Diminishes Memories

Another of the 5 reasons you should write is that when a person dies, with each passing year, they are thought about a little less often. Eventually, we are relegated to a scrapbook or a box of pictures and newspaper clippings. You may be a speaker or singer, so there’s a good chance that your thoughts will exist on some form of media. But those are for the general audience. While your family might want to hear them, I guarantee that they want something more personal.

My 3 daughters bought me a subscription to StoryWorth. Each Monday, I receive a prompt in the form of a question about my life and experiences. I can write as much or as little as I want. At the end of 1 year, I will receive a bound book where those stories are preserved for future generations. Writing is like wildfire; once you start writing on a subject, it’s hard to stop. It doesn’t have to be memoir: your story can find its way into poetry, fictional characters, or the broader narrative of your family. Every person you’ve met, every family member, or colleague, carry the traits of a character you can use when you write; you just don’t have to use their real name.

The Power of Writing Image Credit: Pexels/Pixabay

You Should Write Because Story Has Emotional Power

The fact that your story has emotional power is vital to the 5 reasons you should write. My dad died a few years ago at age 95. Once, when we were together, he said that he didn’t know why he was still alive. My mother, his wife of 70 years had passed 7 years prior. He was lonely and struggling with illness. His comment was about purpose. Dad had been a contributor throughout his life. Whether at home, work, or church, people knew they could rely on him. His question was rhetorical, but I knew he was serious. As I thought of how to respond, I remembered something my brother-in-law told me when his father asked the same question. I borrowed it and told him, “Dad, you’re 29 years older than I am. I don’t know how to get older unless you show me. I won’t know how to finish my race without watching you up close. Through tears, he received that wisdom. The right word or phrase holds power to move others in a positive or negative direction. You’ve no doubt heard, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” because it is true.

Write the Truth, Image Credit: Markus Winkler

You Should Write to Tell the Truth

Journaling is a time-tested means of recording the truth. That is why dairies or journals are often considered evidence in a court of law. In fact, keeping a journal is a powerful tool if you plan to be a writer. You can record anything: names, places, times, events, and most of all your feelings. Most men don’t enjoy talking about their feelings. Women seem to be more inclined to do so. For many, it’s easier to write these things than to talk about them; so write! For several years, I journaled at least 3 pages the very first thing of the day. I didn’t censor my thoughts or feelings. I simply put the pen to the paper and kept it there until 3 pages were filled. The practice, called Morning Pages, comes from a book titled, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I credit the practice of journaling as the encouragement I needed to write my first book, Covenant Talk – Words That Set Us Free. You have a story that only you can tell. Your children and future generations need to know who you are, what you’ve done, why it mattered, and how you helped shape their lives.