To begin, I’m inspired to write by the things that stay with me and some that haunt me.
There’s a conversation I keep replaying, a memory that suddenly resurfaces after years of silence. Then, something I witness makes me laugh, makes absolutely no sense or makes me downright angry. People inspire me, those in my circle and others, in general. Some, not always in ways they would appreciate knowing about.
I write because I notice things.
I notice what people say, but probably more importantly, what they don’t say. I notice contradictions, small acts of kindness, ridiculous behavior, old wounds, unexpected humor, and those ordinary moments that seem insignificant until, somehow, they aren’t.
Writing gives me a place to put all of it.
I’ve written a book that remains unpublished, and I created a website around much of what inspired it. But publication was never the thing that made me a writer. Writing did.
There is something wonderfully permanent about taking a thought that exists only in your head and giving it words. I find it cathartic to channel my emotions through ink for, once it’s written, it has weight. It can make someone laugh, remember, reconsider, or occasionally become annoyed with you. I’m perfectly comfortable with all four.
So, what inspires me to write?
Life does. People do. Memory does. The absurdity, and occasional insanity, of human nature certainly does. But, perhaps more than anything, I write because there is always something I’m not quite finished saying.
From the Writer’s Workshop: What inspires you to write?
