To every lover of the true and beautiful.

papercrushed:

1. No one else will say what you have to say. Yes, there are similar books out there. Books about love or family issues or quirky characters who end up in horribly awkward or heartbreakingly beautiful situations, but no one else will write it exactly as you would. One of the great things about being human is that we all have something unique and different to say. We could all be given the same writing prompt and come up with vastly different characters, settings, and even whole worlds. So don’t cheat yourself. No one else will write your story like you can.
2. Your story needs to be heard. Maybe you’re writing a story about a sensitive boy who no one pays attention to, but who is strong and valuable and funny to the few who notice. Maybe you’re writing about a girl who falls in love over and over again, and even though guys keep letting her down, she never gives up on finding the one guy who will love her the way she deserves to be loved. Maybe you’re writing about a father who doesn’t know how to talk to his kids, or a mother who doesn’t know how to let go. Whether it’s something as simple as a character who is afraid of the dark or as complicated as a character who just found out that they’ll have to die to save someone else—there are readers out there who need to read those stories. There are people who just want to know they’re not alone. Your story could do that for them.
3. It builds discipline. I know, I know. I shouldn’t be one to talk, but the truth of the matter is—it does. Training yourself to write every day makes it easier to train yourself to do other things, good things, every day. For example, lately I’ve been doing my daily writing, exercising 2 times a week for 90 mins, reading more, watching less TV, and eating more healthfully. That’s not to say that writing made me into a more disciplined person permanently, but I do think being disciplined about your writing is the first step toward being more organized and disciplined in other aspects of your life. And the more you write, the better your writing will become.
4. It gives you tougher skin. For me, sharing my writing is like asking me to hand over my heart…It’s one of the hardest things for me to do. Not because I think my writing is bad—in fact it’s just the opposite. I think it’s good, and while I know it’s not perfect, it’s hard to hear someone criticize or scrutinize something that’s so important. But by being open to that criticism (constructive criticism, that is), you can toughen up and not take every bad comment personally. You’ll learn to weed through the advice for the real gems that can actually better you as a writer. And that, I think, is invaluable.
5. Becoming a published author would be really, really awesome.Writing a book is hard work. But the pay off is totally worth it. To have your book recognized, published, and read by hundreds or even thousands of people? Who wouldn’t want that? I know I do.

Five reasons I will finish the book I’be been working on.