The Five Reasons Why I Write

I keep stumbling across articles about the best reasons why you should write. Articles and blogs like Top Ten Reasons to Become an Author, and What Not to Write About. Now, this bothers be in more ways than one, because there is only one person in this world who knows you well enough to decide the best course of action: YOU. I find it hard to believe that other people’s advice is being taken over that of your own. The truth of the matter is that you alone can decide what you want to get out of your writing. 

I have decided to put together a list of the best reasons why I write. Why? There are too many conflicting ideas when it comes to writing. If you are going to take the advice of another author, then it must be objective and focus on writing as the verb and not as the noun. People continuously confuse writing as a pleasure and writing as a career. If you have traditionally or self-published a book, you have a writing career. If you keep your writing locked in a safe and it never sees the light of day, then you are writing for pleasure. 

I see far too many authors talk about how if you are writing for the money, then you shouldn’t be writing at all. I would like to point out the paragraph above. If you put a book on sale and begin to see income from it, then you are writing for the money. Even if it is only one single book. I mean let’s be real for a moment, if it was just because you enjoyed doing it, then you wouldn’t go to all the trouble of getting it published, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just imagine an architect or an accountant who refused to get paid for their services because they were doing it for fun. It doesn’t work like that, and neither does writing as a career. 

Gracefully steps down from soap box

Without further ado, I give you my top five reasons why I write: 

1. Escape Reality 

This one is one of the more obvious ones so I chose to start with it. It will depend on what genre you are writing, but in the long run it means the same thing. I write fantasy, because of the worlds I create, and the characters I describe, I am able to somehow escape reality. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life. I have a great wife and amazing children, but when you can create a world, and immerse yourself into it, some amazing things can happen. Don’t let your imagination erode away without letting it stretch its legs and breathe the fresh air. 

2. It Was This Or Piano 

I firmly believe that for the most part, people need an outlet. Some people play piano, and guitar, while others build birdhouses and fix cars. Not that I find the world of automotive repair dull or birdhouse building particularly boring, I just chose writing as my hobby. I think that if you are looking for an outlet, then it needs to be something you really enjoy doing. For me writing is that outlet, and I love to be able to spend time in it. Maybe not as much as I would like to, but I also have three children, who seem to suck time right out of reality. 

3. Tell Your Story 

We all have a story. A life that sometimes peeks out of the shadows long enough to want to be seen by the rest of the world. This was the main reason why I wrote A Father’s Guide. Was it an all-inclusive parenting guide? Nope. And that was not the intention. I kept thinking about all of the funny and interesting things that my children did, and I thought that I could share that with the rest of the world. The parenting book was just the car that drove it there. Your story doesn’t need to be the greatest thing in the world, just great to you, and worth sharing. 

4. Share Your Passion

If you have a passion, and I am not talking about enjoyment, I am talking about a passion for creating something, then why not share that with the world? My mind begins to wonder away from writing, and onto other things. What would music be like today, if the Beatles never made a record, or if Slash never picked up a guitar? What about if George Washington was comfortable with British rule or Thomas Edison didn’t have a knack for inventing things, what would things look like today? The world would go on, but would it really be the same world? You will never know what kind of difference your passion can make until you put it out there. 

5. Legacy

This one is here, but not for the reasons you may expect. I don’t need to have my name on the most influential person list or win a Nobel Peace Prize. What I do want to do is leave my mark on the world in at least some small way. It is no different from finishing college or landing that big promotion. For me it is my children. I want them to grow up and see the things I have accomplished and be motivated by them. In fact, I’ll go up one more level. I want them to see the things I have done, shrug, and say they will do better. If there is one thing I would strive to do is to put my children in a better place than I am now. 

These are the reasons that I write. Maybe we share the same ones, and maybe yours are completely different. The most important thing about having a reason to write is not the specific reason; it’s that you have one in the first place. What are the reasons why you write? 

The City of Niadia

It is told in the histories of Runa, how Ilistri washed up on the shores of Niadia in the aftermath of the Great Iad War. Cut off from the rest of her people by a company of the Dryad horsemen she found herself and a few of her party at the edge of the sea. They were far outnumbered and were able to find a boat and row away before they were assailed. There was a storm brewing out in the sea, but they had no other choice besides facing the longswords of the horsemen. Nymphs were masters of the waters and the sea, but the small boat they rowed was no match for the bitter waves which tossed the boat around effortlessly. 

Before long the boat was smashed to pieces and all of her company lost. After a few days Ilistri alone found herself waking on the southern shores of Runa. Ilistri was in awe of the mighty cove she found herself in. The sheer walls of the cliffs dropped hundreds of feet into the bay. She climbed to the very top and surveyed the land around her, which stretch as far as she could see. It was green and lush, with many rivers and animals. It was far from the Dryad stronghold of Hylos on the western shores and had a certain magical feeling to it. It was there upon the cliff edge that Ilistri had a vision. She saw a mighty palace upon the highest of the cliffs, and a city, built into the cliffs all the way to the water's edge, where there was a busy harbor. Many people moved about the palace and the city, and this gave her comfort and much hope for her people. Motivated by her vision, she then moved north and gathered to her all the remnants of her people that she could find. They returned and began to carry out the plans for the city. 

Within a few years the city was full wrought and many who have been now say it glitters in the sun as though it were a diamond. It became a stronghold for any who sought asylum in all of Runa. It was the most diverse city and accepted all who came in need. Because of this, Niadia became one of the heaviest fortified cities in Runa. Elves came to live there and take up the guard of the queen. In the ancient days, dwarves from the Lon Dalei helped to teach stonework to the people before their extinction. Even men came to teach warfighting and farming. It was a beacon of hope to the wandering and homeless people of Runa and so were erected two glorious lighthouses on the edges of the cliffs closest to the sea. Their light is said to shine ever outwards to light the way to their city. 

Niadia is located on the southern shores of Runa, on the eastern most side of Willowood. It was built into the cliff above a cove, which provided for natural defenses and concealment. The sheer cliff walls fall hundreds of feet into the bay below. Niadia experiences mild seasons, but the extremes are kept to spring and fall. Summer is most common as the climate is dry and arid. They never see winter along the warm southern coasts. Three rivers flow from the foundations of Niadia through the dense Willowood forest and pour into the mighty Ahura River. Ahura is the largest of the rivers in Runa, and after collecting all of the waters from the Toros and Iron Rivers it courses out of Dendrel Forest and through the Plains of Denobai, finally emptying into the western sea. 

The Last Chapter

I wrote the first chapter to the second book in the Pearls of Solus series last night, and then a curious thing happened. I went and wrote the last chapter of the final book. I am not a huge fan of doing this, but I felt for this kind of story, I needed to visualize the ending to be able to build up to it. Usually I leave the ending for, well, the end. I mean I know where it is going, and a version of how it ends, but not the exact ending. The difference in writing a series, as I have come to find out is that there are many more moving parts that a traditional novel. The characters and plot lines wind up looking like my three-year-old daughter’s coloring project or her hair in the morning before it has been brushed. 

The truth is, there seemed to be a sort of finality to writing the last chapter, probably more so because I am not yet halfway done with the series. I have been working on this series in my head for the better part of the last decade, and now I am finally putting pen to paper. I am putting fingers to keys and writing the story that I have been thinking about for way too long. It never seemed real, though. It seems to have been going on for so long that it didn’t feel like I would ever finish. Now that the first book is written, it is beginning to edge closer to completion. Yet until I finished that last chapter, it didn’t seem tangible, and now it does. 

It seems that this isn’t just a theme for my book. It has been a year full of changes. I finally closed the book on college. I graduated in May with a bachelor degree in business. I can’t wait to put that to use in my writing career (he said sarcastically). I also decided that I want to be a writer. Now, at a first look it may seem that I have self-published two different books, so that must make me a writer. Right? 

Wrong. To me the idea of writing is not something that I merely want to do between projects or in my down time. I don’t want it to be a hobby, or something that I am afraid to get out. I was teetering on the edge of a cliff. I didn’t know whether I wanted to fall on either side. The main catalyst? My website was coming due for renewal. This may seem like a silly thing, but it’s the truth. I felt as though if I was going to invest in something, I had better make it worth my while. In a basic sense I am a writer, furthermore, an author, but as with my book I didn’t feel like one. When I decided to take the plunge off the cliff, that is when it became real to me. I now feel like an author, and it feels great. 

You see, the only way to truly do something, is to go all in. I think that is why many people fail at things in life, myself included. There are many times that we do something half way and then say it is good enough. Then later you get that feeling where you know you cut corners and didn’t do your best work. Not anymore. I decided to completely commit to being and author and giving out my best work. Maybe one day I will begin to see the dividends of all of the things I have been preparing, but at this moment I don’t care. Right now, I plan on putting my head down and being the best that I can be. However hard, or whatever that may entail, I fully plan to be the best version of myself.

What have you done lately to be the best version of yourself?

Dendrelfin

The elves were the first of the races in Runa. In the year 2121 of the First Age it is said that Vega himself, lord and creator of the elven race, found him wandering in the wild. Vega led him deep into Dendrel Forest, and they spoke for a long time. He gave him the name Elthiol, and told him he would one day be the father of all the elves of Runa. Vega instructed him in all the ways of Runa, but especially in all the ways of the forest. He spoke of the rivers and the trees, and of the power and comfort he could find in them. He spent many years at his side, ensuring to impart as much knowledge on Elthiol as he could. As soon as he had told all he would, Vega departed, and was last seen striding into the western sunset. 

After his going, the elven king long wandered in the forest alone. He embraced nature and learned much from the birds and the animals. It was even said that he spoke with them on occasion. When Elthiol had learned for himself all he could from the forest, he went in search of others who he could lead with his wisdom. Coming to the banks of the Iron River, which flowed from the north and into the center of Dendrel Forest, he knelt to drink. As he lowered his eyes, they met those of another on the opposite bank. Long, they gazed into each other’s eyes, both enamored by the other. At long last Elthiol rose and began to wade towards her through the stream. He was not yet halfway across before she rose and began to run. Long he chased her ere he caught her in the deep north of Dendrel. At last, seeing that he meant her no harm she came to him and for the first time spoke. She told him she was Aerian, and she was named and led into the forest by a great lord of the trees. This filled Elthiol with much wonder, and he realized that she could only be speaking of Vega. Elthiol sat with her and they spoke for many hours of the forest and the trees. 

Before long they were joined together as husband and wife, and to this day are still known as the father and mother of all of the elves in Runa. They set forth, scouring every last edge of the forest, until they had gathered all of the elven folk to them in the north. Together, they built the mighty city of Dendrelfin, which was built upon the very tops of the highest trees. It was raised in the north of the forest, in the exact place where Elthiol and Aerian had first met. Their city grew and became rich in trade and grew fairer as the long years progressed. The elves of Dendrelfin were most renowned for their knowledge, and they were great teachers and counselors in times of need. They seldom left the woods, unless in great need or duress. 

Dendrelfin is located in the northwest of Dendrel Forest with the Iron River to the east, and the Northern Pass to the west. Green and full of life, it never saw winter, and remained in an everlasting spring. The rushing rivers broke off into quieter streams that coursed throughout the forest as veins, bringing life to every corner. Animals were free to roam, and it remained feared to most that were not of elven race. This fear came not from the elves actions, but in the form of awe and amazement. Although the elves of Dendrelfin were not aggressive, they were found to be more mysterious than all other elves. The forest was thick and borderless. There were some small worn paths where many elves had tread over the years, but the quickest way was through the trees. 

The Kingdom of Delborish

Established by Toros the Bear in the year 1526 of the Third Age, the Kingdom of Delborish has long stood as a symbol of strength to all of Runa. It is said that Toros the Bear was the first of the race of men to come into the northwest of Runa. There he was espied by Arktouros, the creator of men, who had long waited for them to come into being. When Arktouros came upon him, he was found to be wrestling an enormous bear in a small dell full of Delborish Oaks. As Arktouros watched Toros fighting, he was enamored by his strength and resilience.  

Toros, after many hours in battle, slayed the beast with a limb torn from the largest of the Delborish Oak trees. He then picked up and carried the massive beast to the very center of the dell, and it was there that the stones were first set for the foundations of his castle. From that point on, a bear became the symbol and surname of all the lords of Delborish. He was named Toros the Bear, but later his house became known as the House of the Bear. In the ensuing years, the surname of Beran was adopted, and used. It is said however that they would always be the House of the Bear, and there would always be a Beran on the thrown in Delborish. 

Toros was tall and strong, and his features rough and menacing. He wore the symbol of the bear claw on his right breast and he was known throughout the land as mighty. He set about to gather to him all the other families who were also wandering in the wild. Once he had found all he could, and gathered them together, they began to build a castle and in turn a small village which surrounded it. After the castle was built, Toros also sailed to Kingsdell, an island just off the western coast of his kingdom. There they set up a small store of food and arms, as a safe haven in case trouble were to arise. It became more of a second home to the royal family, a quiet and wild island reminding them of the years before.  

The castle itself was not far from the sea, on the western coast of Runa. It was said you could hear it clearly from the tower of the keep. Toros ruled as king, and many other houses fell in under his command. Some of those would come to include the House of the Falcon, whom are mighty scouts and woodsmen. Also, the House of the Stallion, who are master trainers and very learned in animal husbandry. They heads of these houses were wise and strong, and they served Delborish no matter the cost. 

Even though the Elves and Iads had been in Runa for many thousands of years before men, they did not reveal themselves. For a very long time men kept to themselves, and their Kingdom began to grow rapidly. The Dwarves were the first to notice the might of men, and quickly offered their masonry and stonework talents. It was the Dwarves who brought mighty stones down from the Tungol Mountains and help build the great castle. In turn, the men of Delborish fought beside them and helped to protect them during their travels in the north. After seeing the strength of men and their ability to work with those different than them, interest moved quickly throughout Runa, and the Elves and Iads soon after offered themselves as allies and trade partners. 

The Kingdom of Delborish is located in the very northwest corner of Runa. It runs from the sea east to the Ebony Woods and south along the Toros River until it meets Dendrel Forest. It has mild seasons, and the majority of the year is spent in spring. There can be harsh winters depending on the winds that come out of the mountains from the east. There are rolling hills and streams, and many trees cover the landscape. Its mild climate allows for dense forests and lush vegetation. Much of the northern part of the kingdom is open fields with rich soil, allowing for farming.