What do you get from writing, as a writer? By Swit La Pond

Guest writer for "The NZDream" blog

https://www.mynzdreamblog.com/write-for-us-and-author-interviews

Someone asked me a question that stuck and has been my checklist and drive as an author. What has writing done for you in your life? What does it give you?

I thought I would answer that question here, and pose the same to every fellow writer out there.

I figured, yeah, we all write and all aspire to reach far and wide, and of course, hope the sales will make a reasonable amount. But the actual reason one writes, I feel, is the initial reason your first writing was birthed. Some become writers from the pain, regrets, joys, and basically life. Some are inspired by other people, nature, and things around them. While some merely have a story to tell. But we never really know what the writer is getting from it. Reviews, ratings, and feedback tell how and what your writing is doing, has done, and can do for the reader, but not for the author. We usually look at the author’s background, outlook, covers, and publications, but seldom at what they gain from all of their own work and effort, besides sales, as everyone assumes. I had to introspect, revisit old memories and look at myself from a 3rd party perspective, to try to determine what really I get from telling my own stories, writing poetry, and just putting my heart out to the world.

I started writing as an escape from the traumas that resided in my head and had started corroding my behavior, mood, and even trust in people. Talking had proved fruitless. Most just didn’t get me or understand the depth of my pain, regrets, and wishes. When I wrote my first piece, Flower In Flames, it was a desperate cry to be heard, so my very heart poured to the pages. But after a lifetime of trauma and wishes harbored, one book could not possibly cover all my heart’s wishes and regrets. So my heart's contents kept flowing to all the other books, to date, each carrying certain elements of my very heart. Culture, love, pain, dreams, hopes…. Everything I translate to stories and poems nowadays, other than cutting it into my own flesh, storing it in my worried and swamped head, or bruising an already broken and helpless heart.

This was my healing., still is. This is my voice, this is my cry and lamentation, and it is my hopes and dreams. Writing has given me a chance to let out what I bottled all these years, thus lightening my burden, while simultaneously pushing for how my heart yearns to help others and to change the world.

Writing has given me hope, a platform to make a change, and a way to heal and extend the same to those like myself.

I have known peace that I never knew I could reach, all because of writing. The people I have met through the same have become friends that are unwavering, supportive, give guidance and urge me on, telling me every step of the way, that I matter, what I write matters, and, apparently, I am good at it.

I would say writing has given me a fresh outlook on life, brighter days, a clearer head, forgiveness, growth, and genuine friends. I literally feel I can face the next day, the next battle, and anything else that comes my way now…I have learned to love and let love find me, all through writing. I have found myself and have control over my emotions and reactions, all because the bitterness flowed to the pages and left my heart open and free, for new emotions and experiences, as I am living now.

In summary, writing changed my life and taught me to live, rather than breeze through the days. It taught me to love not only others but myself more. It showed me the beauty of life and how bright the colors can be. It took away the fog hatred and pain had over my sight and showed me love and a chance at my own happiness. Writing is a part of me. I just hadn’t figured it out all these years prior.

I would want to hear from my fellow authors. What do you get, as a writer, from your own writing?