Writing for the joy of it

Have you ever looked at something either in your own life or that of someone else and said, “that would make a great story”? Do you play (or have you ever played) Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, or any other role-playing game?

If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then why aren’t you writing these stories down? Or if you have tried and then given up, maybe it’s time for you try again.

There are probably thousands of people who have written the beginning of a story and then stopped. Why? Did they get tired of the story? Did they not have the time to write? Did they not know how to go on? Or perhaps, they just felt overwhelmed by the idea of writing a book.

The thing is, anyone can write a story — and it doesn’t even need to turn into a book. There is absolutely nothing wrong with simply writing for the joy of it or because there’s a story in your head that just won’t leave you alone. There is no hard and fast rule that says that just because you write a story you have to publish it.

Dorothy Parker once said “I hate writing, but I love having written.” A lot of people feel that way. I have many times. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t also find it a joy to write to sometimes.

Writing not only allows you to tell a story, it gives you the opportunity to create fascinating characters…