In this post Muhammad Saleem asks why do you write? Muhammad is a social media consultant and a top-ranked community member on many social sites. image by mezone
Why Do You Write?
Sounds like an odd question at first, doesn’t it? The reason why you write actually has a big impact on how you write and what you write about, and understand that identifying this reason can actually help you write better and work faster towards achieving that goal.
For example, when I first started writing online, I was writing a personal diary of sorts. Since I was writing it more as an outlet for self-expression and not as something for public consumption, the blog didn’t look very pretty, it was unstructured, and I didn’t care much about editing the content or writing regularly. However, when I started writing my first social media blog, I approached the matter very differently. What changed?
Why I Started and Continue to Write
1. Educating Others and Myself
I started writing my first social media blog about 8 months after I really got involved in the space. I was frequently reading other blogs and commenting on them and would often think to myself that my comments could be blog posts of their own (and would offer a worthy contrarian viewpoint to what I was reading). So I started my own social media blog with the intention of doing three things: a) Talking about my experiences in the social space and what others could learn from them, b) Discovering topics that I thought were important but were being undeserved and talking about them, and c) Providing a contrarian viewpoint (or my insight) on the meme of the day. I started blogging not just because I thought I had something to say but because I believed (and still do) that it would create value for people and help others.
2. Personal Branding
There has been a growing reciprocal relationship between my blog and my personal branding. Since I already had a presence in the social media sphere, it gave credibility to my blog, and since I was blogging about my experiences, my social media presence gained more exposure through it. When I say personal branding I don’t mean celebrity for the sake of celebrity. What I mean is establishing your brand as the [something] guy, and I was establishing myself as the social media guy, just as Darren has established himself as the ‘make money through blogging’ guy (unlike John Chow, whom I like to refer to as the ‘make money by bending the rules’ guy).
3. Networking
Through being active in the social media space, blogging was a natural progression for me. Social media is all about community, networking, and collaboration, and one of the best mediums to do that through is blogging. I started blogging not just because I wanted to establish myself as an authority on something and I wanted to help other people understand that niche, but because I also wanted and still want to network with other people in the space and hear what they have to say and learn from them. We all have unique perspectives on things and as much as we like to believe that we know it all, someone always comes along and enlightens us further. I can’t begin to tell you how much I have learned from people commenting on my blogs, or messaging me via email or instant messenger. After all, as John Donne wrote, “All mankind is of one author…No man is an island, entire of itself.”
I don’t think anyone said it better than Rollo May though,
“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.”
4. Escapism
I started writing seriously when I was in college, and I remember that I would write the most (and perhaps some of the most substantive stuff) when I was stressed about something or the other. The more I wrote, the more passionate I became about writing and it was an incredibly easy and enjoyable way to ‘get away from it all’. No more Econometrics or Statistics, I could spend hours just researching, writing, and commenting before I had to go back to the books. Similarly, many of the most unique blogs I see today (such as WebUrbanist and Deputy-Dog) are from people who hold regular jobs but use their blogs as their creative outlets.
5. Money
When I started to blog, I never dreamed of making money through blogging. Not only was I not aware that it was an option, but I was mentally trained and culturally brought up to want to be a financial consultant – it was set in stone. But the more I blogged, the more people started asking me to blog for them for money. While I never guest blogged for money (I think it defeats the purpose of ‘guest’ blogging), I did end up writing regularly for multiple sites on a per post basis and thought it was absolutely perfect. Think about it, getting paid to do what you’re passionate about – it’s not a job if you enjoy doing it!
Ultimately, whether it be out of a passion or to make some cash on the side as a Freelancer, we all have a unique voice and a unique reason for why we should be heard. The single reason why I wrote this post is because I am genuinely interested in hearing each and everyone’s story. Why do you write?
I write because I have to!
Ever since my chubby little hand first picked up a crayon I have been writing away ~ sometimes well, sometimes not so well, but there is no doubt it is a very basic part of my nature. I blog, then, to speak my experience as a human being, and I hope that by sharing I am perhaps benefiting others by letting them catch a glimpse into my little world.
My clientk blog (formerly RoadToForbes) started because I was making the transition from the corporate fast track to more entrepreneurial/consulting/investing pursuits.
I had all this information that I not only didn’t want to lose but wanted to share with others.
But over the last three years of blogging, I find that my blog pushes me to stay current. It is easy as an entrepreneur to be so busy with business decisions that I forget my continuous education. Not good. If I’m not moving forward, I’m falling behind.
I think to some extent I started blogging properly because of a desire to find some focus in what I was writing. I *always* wrote, it just tended to be a scattergun type approach. And I realised that that wasn’t really the most effective or enjoyable way for me to write, I wanted my writing to have some wider value and to be more directed in the topics I was writing about.
As a result I’ve developed two blogs, one professional and one for my “fun” stuff. The readership levels aren’t really that important, though of course the more the merrier because I like comments and debate, far more important is that they give me genuine focus to write with a purpose.
I write content for many reasons:
Search engine traffic
Talk about things that I like
Engage my visitors into conversations
I write because I like to write
Somehow I always had the feeling I wanted to write. I don’t know why exactly, but I never really took the effort to sit down and start.
So what is it that makes me want to write? Maybe because I love the beauty of language and well placed words. Maybe because I want people to listen to what I have to say. And that’s probably also the reason why I didn’t start earlier, because I wasn’t sure about what I wanted to say.
I started my site when I moved to Puerto Rico.
It has helped me in the adjustment phase of the move and now I find that I can provide my visitors with valuable information for their visit to this Caribbean island. Plus it is a great way to learn about a new country.
It’s still a work in progress, but visitor numbers are up; which is always a good thing.
For the personal blog – because I have stories to tell.
For the tech blog – because I have people to help. :)
I started blogging recently to find my voice. I have strong opinions about topics of the day and getting feedback on those ideas can only help make them better. I look over you post again and your reasons for blogging seem like they would appeal to the average blogger. At least they all do in my case. These reasons, however, manifest themselves differently for me.
Have you ever heard of the Barnum Effect? The general appeal of this list of reasons may contain a bit of that effect. Just a thought.
I started blogging on myspace to entertain my friends with hilarious stories. One of my friends hated it and thought it was stupid. So for Christmas I published a book of all of my blog post and gave it to him as a present. It was a great moment. Now I blog on other sites about website marketing, swimming pools and I also run a personal blog on myspace and on blogger.
I think one of the worst reasons to write in general is probably “because you have to”. I have written a few pieces that I felt I had to write and always lost a little creativity. Not that most articles are something that have to be written, that is the case with most (otherwise why write it), but just not the only reason.
I love to help people. What better place than the web to help an almost unlimited number of people.
@brent – I totally agree, that would probably top my list too.
A personal blog is a highly creative hobby. I enjoy the creativity of writing, designing and creating a final product that pleases me and that I can publish on my own.
I also enjoy reaching an audience and having a discussion. It’s great to meet people that I would never have met otherwise.
I blog to search myself. At least up to now.
I was blogging since I can remember (around 7-8 years in total, so I’ve started when I was around 13!) I never really had a purpose, apart from the fact I’ve published samples of my stories and poems. My first blog helped me to publish a book, but when I looked back at it, it was unstructural and childish so it got deleted. Then I moved from free Polish blogging service to wordpress.
It’s a powerful tool, but I still had no idea for self-branding. Supposingly, I still haven’t got one. To make things worst – my native is Polish. I’m also rather fluent in English, plus I teach Japanese. I’m mostly into linguistics, so I cannot make my mind if I should start blogging in English finally!
Also, last year I finally have moved myself to Google Accounts, mostly GMail, Reader and Homepage.
It was the time when I have first asked the question what that RSS thingy is? – and whoa, I have the new sickness of “being overfed” ;) – well, not really, I have around 70 subscribtions on various topics: mostly crafting, e-learning, blogging, linguistics, art, gizmos.
I would like to transform my blog or create something new, but I still don’t have a good idea. Probably I’d fit into linguistics niche, but how can you blog on languages?
Well, that’s about it. I’m in the process of learning that weblog can have a topic to focus on, and it might be something diffrent than my own daily life.
I write to express my emotions, for escapism, and also to connect with my sisters (we blog together). I love to read what they have to say.
I write because it’s fun, and I like to get feedback. That’s why I run a comedy site, a graphic/web design site, and plan on starting a financial planning site, among others.
I started writing when I was a kid, wrote a little book for school, journaled for most of my childhood and continued journaling in adulthood off and on.
I started my blog after writing a college thesis about sugar addiction and the obesity epidemic. I wanted to pass along information that I’ve learned through research, and also through my own experience – I don’t think my blog reads like a thesis though (LOL).
Most of what I write on my blog is based on my experience, and since I love books I review some of those, too. Now I’m continuing to write because of the positive feedback and interaction I’ve received and engaged in with my readers. I feel that if I can help just one other person by sharing my experiences, then I’ve done something good in the world. ;)
I write because I want that challenge. I want to become a better writer and I like the way you can apply a strategy and see results. Will I get a visitor…will he/she leave a comment…are my articles interesting? So I keep refining my skills and researching as I go.
I love blogging and can blog every where
What’s up Mu?! I just happened to finish writing an absolutely mind-blowing article based on an inspirational interview with filmmaker James Cameron. And writing that article answered this EXACT question – purely because I felt almost euphoric while writing. I had a smile on my face the entire time…
I love movies… more than just about anything. For me, this blog of mine is an opportunity for me to voice my opinion and emphasize my own interests to a crowd of people. The size of that crowd may be enormous, but that’s irrelevant when still considering the fact that my interest is purely based on passion. I do what I do because I love movies and I love talking about movies more than anything. Sure we make money in the end, but that’s not at all what it was when we started and I haven’t lost that sense of direction.
While I think you list 5 very good possibilities that I think most people fall into when asked why they write, I fall into another category that you don’t have listed. The first one is closest, but then again I’m not trying to educate anyone (not all the time, at least). It’s almost as if you should have a #6 – “Love”. I just love writing about movies because I love movies! It might be a hard concept to grasp, but I guess it’s a combination between #1 and #2 in the sense that I like my opinion being read while simply enjoying the fact that I get to have my passionate writing on movies out there.
I could go on and on but I think that’s enough to encompass my considerations for now. Why do I write? For the love of movies!
XX
Wow, I just did a video on my site answering this question. I was inspired by Darren’s “why do you blog?” post a few weeks ago, but missed his deadline. I expanded it to be Why I Write about Spirituality.
Short answer: I write about spirituality because I have to. It is a deep inner calling to write and share what I know, and ponder what I don’t know.
I write my blog to be the loom in this Edna St. Vincent Millay poem excerpt:
“Upon this gifted age, in its dark hour,
Rains from the sky a meteoric shower
Of facts … they lie unquestioned, uncombined.
Wisdom enough to leech us of our ill
Is daily spun, but there exists no loom
To weave it into fabric.”
I write to keep in touch with my profession and to update myself on day to day basis.
I blog because I love helping others in my situation. At my job, I’m continually asked for advice, and help when I can by sharing my experiences. Therefore, having created a voice for fellow cat owners, I validate and support them. Being part of a community helps an individual succeed.
I started writing on my personal blog because I want to record something for the future. I want to record my personal experience, the problems I have, the progress I made. Few years later, I can turn around and evaluate my life.
I was expecting anyone to read my blog, but it turns to be a great motivation and inspiration blog for some people.
Hey Muhammad – Thanks for asking :)
I write primarily to let other people know that you do not have to pursue a life in the corporate world (cubicle) if you do not want to.
Whatever you think will bring you happiness, e.g. working from home, starting your own business, traveling the globe. If I can empower just ONE person to pursue their personal freedom goals then I am happy.
Is it easy to pursue personal freedom and take a path that is not the typical norm? NO. But, it can be done.
All the best,
Mark H.
Lifestyle Design Consultant
I write because I want to share my thoughts and blogging experience with others In hope they will learn about it as I did.
Many posts I read on your blog and gave me motivation to blog on daily basis.
I always try to say that I don’t blog for money, but money keeps popping up on google check month after month.
Few words to others…write what you know and not what you don’t…
I/we write to raise social awareness. It may be about anything, good or bad. We blog to make our voices be heard to all. Just one small reason for us.
I write my traditional blog (oh, how fast society moves, that there can be such a thing already as a “traditional blog”) mainly to practice writing and (I’ll be honest) to stroke my ego by sharing my special wisdom (hah) with the world.
I write word puzzles for My Puzzle Fix, which uses Blogger for now but is not really a true blog (at least not in my mind), for fun, to express my creativity, and in hopes of perhaps, eventually, someday, earning a dollar or two. (Okay, I’ve learned from ProBlogger that I should set higher goals if I want to achieve anything worthwhile.)
Writing has done for me what no amount of therapy could equate to after a major personal loss
In it, I (unexpectedly) stumbled upon a state of constant learning, discovery, making new friends
now I’m making a name ‘cross the blogosphere
and money – why yes, I do plan to be making quite a bit of that as I climb my way up on top of the heap
aside from all of that
I am addicted to the satisfaction (then desire to do more) that comes with providing the right words or suggestion to someone who needed it at the right time. I know what it feels like to need something – some information, a pick me, a fresh perspective – whatever…and for someone to just saunter in and say “here JEMi”
phenomenal
Do you know what that feels like?
I feel so purposeful and only want to help more and more. In a way .. thats just selfish right?
sue me
B-)
Writing in general? Or writing online? Because my answers would be different for each (with some overlap). I’ve got one and a half novels written that nobody but me and a few friends have seen, and I wrote them for completely different reasons than I write my blog. For that matter, I’ve got a “recreational” blog where I chatter about a variety of things with a few hundred of my best knitting friends around the world, as well as a more serious blog which theoretically could make me some money while being informative and inspiring. And, of course, my reasons for writing these are also completely different. So, I guess my answer to “Why do you write,” is “It depends!”
I write because its fun. I share my thoughts on various social sites and such that most people don’t have the time to play with.
I’m definitely in the escapism camp… the thing is, writing/blog culture has always been part of me.
I grew up with BBSes in my formative years, and I’ve always been using one kind of online forum or another for discussions since then.
I write for a lot of reasons:
I love it. There is just something about seeing my words on the internet (and paper), knowing that I did that myself, and others will read them, and perhaps I managed to make someone’s day in the process.
I write to learn, too. They say that teaching others is the best way to learn new things. “They” were right.
And it’s a creative outlet for me. I’ve got an artistic mind, so it’s really no surprise I’d be intrigued by language and design. Blogging gives me that, and more.
I write for enjoyment and expressing my feelings to the world via the web.
Without a doubt, my primary reason for writing is self-expression: working out my feelings and experiences on paper. I’ve been doing that since I was five, when I wrote the immortal sentence, “Why does Aron Larson keep teasing me?” (I had to ask my mom how to spell most of the words.)
But on my blog, I write to share what I think is a rather unique perspective and to hopefully help others realize that they can achieve their goals, even if they seem too difficult or extreme.
Writing is an outlet for my creativity. That, and ever since I picked up my first fiction novel I couldn’t help but think “I can do that…”. Life got in the way, though, so at 37 I’m really making my first real attempt at getting published. Writing on my blog is in support of that–to connect with others with similar pursuits and to share information.
I write for all of the above but most importantly, to address the purpose of my site…
Cheers, Muhammad. Great piece.
I have been writing for pure personal enjoyment ever since I was about 10: short (sci-fi) stories, sketches then some (bad) poetry and then a few movie scripts and screenplays.
In my mid twenties I realized I am about to be a bum if I don’t get a job soon, so as there was simply absolutely no “real job” I could imagine myself doing I followed my brother’s advice and applied for a job as a copywriter in an advertising agency.
Luckily Al had just invented the Internet around that time so after a few years I reused my copywriter “experience” and became Interactive marketing consultant – a steady homeoffice at-the-PC position that allows me – at the age of 38 – to write for my own personal enjoyment once again :)
Thanks Al!
I agree with you so much about writing as escapism! This was actually the reason I started blogging (as a means to get my writing published), though this later developed into a means of helping other bloggers too.
I’m a 19 year old kid from Harlem,NY so you can pretty much assume what the typical teenager from here does. Well that’s my reason for writing, I write to be different, just like all of you I write to escape as if almost literally, but most importantly I write for a better living.
I definitely write to educate others (and myself). I feel like I’ve got a unique perspective on my chosen topic and can offer alot to my readers. Great post!
Wow. Thanks for all the responses. Making my way through them now.
My reasons are pretty much the same. I’m a big people person, I’m not afraid of meeting new people. I’m always open to networking and building relationships. I’ll just focus on these two aspects for now, and everything else will follow.
I write because Heath Ledger died. Unexpectedly and accidentally. He left with things unsaid/undone and movies unmade. He was (is) one of my favorite actors and I was horrified. I grieved for his lost work.
Later I grieved for the unfinished projects, unuttered opinions, and unshared ideas that would surely die with me. They’re the Me of me and the truth of their imminent loss kept me awake nights.
So I started my blog. I started with Twitter a month later. I’m putting it all out where someone (anyone! everyone!) can read it. Now I sleep like a stone.
Writing = My shot at immortality
Originally started blogging as escapism, but now it’s simply because I enjoy it. I write about the stuff that interests me, and hope that it interests other people too… that’s pretty much it.
Why not? :)
I started my site as a place to put stuff that I might need to refer to later. As it grew and grew, lots of other folks started using it for the same reason.
When it started making money for me, I realized how important it was to keep it going.
But I suspect I’d still do it without the money.
Why I write? Escapism is an element, but moreso, I write blog articles because I enjoy the opportunity to share with others and because it is a creative outlet.
What drives me to want to continue to write? I am most enthusiastic and gather the most fulfillment when my blogging connects with a reader and prompts that person to respond via a comment or email. As much as I know that writing should be sufficient reward unto itself, I have to admit that a little validation from time to time is certainly welcome.
I began the Niche Marketing Professional blog for one reason and one reason only – to jot down everything I’ve read on the net about the topic because there’s so much to think about and most of the time I forget what I’ve read. This blog helps me retain most of the “good information” so at least I can go back and jog my memory when I’m trying to push a product or service. Does that make sense?