Skipping ahead one prompt to do a post this evening about why I love writing. When I took part in the Writetober23 challenge during October over on Instagram one of the questions I had to answer was why do I write, and aspects of my post below capture some of my response.

Reading inspired me to start attempting to write my own stories. To this day, when I read a good book I can feel something firing up inside of me; reading a good story makes me feel exhilarated. A great book makes me want to be a great writer and to create characters and situations that will resonate and pull the reader into another world, and drift along on adventures and be captivated by emotion.

Writing has always felt a part of me. I love the fact I can create characters and worlds, letting my imagination take over. It feels like I get to live multiple lives without ever having to leave the house (though I find getting out into the world provides the best inspiration!).

When I write and it’s going well it’s like some kind of magic starts to happen. It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe, but you will often hear creative people say they get lost ‘in the flow’, when they are deep in writing, creating art, playing music, whatever. I think you can feel that sense of ‘flow’ from the other side too, when you are consuming good art – the kind that takes you out of your body and transports you somewhere new.

When I’m in ‘the flow’ of writing it’s like my brain exits my body and I connect to something much bigger and more freeing than logic. Feelings and instinct take over and finally that inner voice, the bad critic one that tries to overthink and overanalyse every word, is silenced, and the words just flow. It’s sort of similar to touch typing – somehow I know where the letters are on the keyboard without even looking or thinking about where they are. But guaranteed if I start to analyse how I could possibly know, I then start to lose the magic, and stumble over the keys. So the trick for me is to try to keep in that heightened state of mind for as long as possible. I think this is why on good writing days I can just keep writing and writing, as I don’t want to break the spell. And listening to emotional music often helps me keep in the flow, taking me outside of reality for a while.

What I also love about writing is the chance to have fun and tap into my imagination. I have a day off work tomorrow and I’m delivering a flash fiction workshop to Erskine Writers. I like delivering creative workshops as I love seeing what ideas the participants come up with from the prompts I set, and I find it a freeing way of experimenting with different forms.

Setting myself this challenge, of writing posts inspired by daily prompts, is a great way to just let go of over-thinking and seeing what happens! It’s taking me back to the core of what I love about writing; being able to express myself and connect with the world whilst having some fun along the way.