Episode #14
Why Are You Writing? Your Reason May Not Be What You First Think It Is | Ep14
Most of us never actually stop to ask why we write. We assume we know — and often, we're wrong. In this episode, I take listeners back to my own teenage assumption that being good at English meant I was meant to be a writer, and the adult detour that followed: chasing the idea of making money as an author, before realizing that wasn't my real why after all. That realization led me to editing instead — and, decades later, to writing a book of my own for reasons that have nothing to do with a royalty statement. I walk through the real reasons writers write — to communicate, to be heard, to be noticed, to contribute, to leave a legacy, or because they simply feel called — and name something many authors carry quietly: the shame of wanting to be paid for their work, and the fear that admitting it makes them less "legitimate" as a writer. I ground the conversation in real numbers from the Authors Guild's 2023 Author Income Survey, and close with a simple, layered writing exercise designed to help you find your own most honest why. In This Episode Why being good at something isn't the same as being called to it The real reasons writers write: to communicate, to be heard, to be noticed, to contribute, to leave a legacy, or because they feel called What the Authors Guild's 2023 Author Income Survey actually reveals about what published authors earn The quiet shame many writers carry about wanting to be paid — and permission to let it go My own story: from a teenage assumption about being a writer, to chasing a money-driven dream, to becoming an editor instead This week's exercise: the seven-layer "I write because..." question to find your most heartfelt why From the Episode "Fog doesn't carry you through a revision at eleven o'clock at night. Clarity does." "Wanting to be paid fairly for your work is not a character flaw. You're allowed to want the deeper reason and the paycheck. Those two things aren't in competition. They're supposed to work together." This Week's Invitation Take a blank sheet of paper and write, "I write because..." — then fill in the blank with your most honest answer. Underneath it, write down why you answered that way ("I write because I love to write" becomes "I love to write because..."). Keep asking the next why, based on your last answer, seven times through. By the bottom of the page, you'll have landed on your most heartfelt reason — the one that was underneath all the others the whole time. Links & Resources Free resources: alicecrider.com The InkWell Collective: https://www.alicecrider.com/inkwellcollective Coaching inquiries: admin@alicecrider.com Source for author income statistics: Authors Guild 2023 Author Income Survey (authorsguild.org) ✒️ Join the Conversation What's your honest answer to "I write because..."? We'd love to hear where your seven layers landed — share it with us inside The InkWell Collective, or tag Alice when you post. About Alice Alice Crider is a book editor, certified life coach, and author coach with nearly thirty years of publishing experience. She hosts Your Write Life Coach and leads The InkWell Collective, a community for heart-led authors. Her first book releases next year.
