Let’s start with the obvious: it is not easy to write a good text. Not coal-mining hard or brain-surgery hard, but soul-exposing, brain-bending, “what am I even doing with my life?” kind of hard.
And if you’ve ever sat down to write something, anything, really, you’ve probably had that moment. The one where the cursor blinks like it’s judging you and your empty brain. The one where you ask yourself why am I even doing this?
Good. That’s the right question. That’s where the magic starts.
Because once you know your “why” as a writer, everything changes. You stop chasing likes. You stop trying to write like that bestselling author. You start writing like you. And that, my friend, is when your words actually start to matter.
So let’s dig into it. Not with a shovel (too messy), but with something better: a guide that’s equal parts real talk, strategy, and a bit of sass. Buckle up.
What even is a writing why for a writer?
Your writing “why” isn’t your genre. It’s not “because I want to be published.” It’s not even “because I love storytelling.” That’s cute. But not deep enough.
Your “why” is the root reason you write, the deep, delicious core under all the fluff. It’s the fire in your belly that keeps you writing when nobody’s reading. It’s the thing that fuels your voice, shapes your stories, and keeps you coming back when you swear you’re done (again).
Finding it is like finding out your Starbucks order and your life purpose in one go. It’s that important.
Step 1: Get real with yourself. Yes, I’m saying it. You need to be real. More real.
Let’s start with a little self-interrogation (don’t worry, there’s no waterboarding involved).
Ask yourself:
- Why do I really want to write?
- What do I want people to feel or know after they read my stuff?
- What breaks my heart? What lights me up?
- What would I write even if no one ever read it?
Don’t rush this. Sit with it. Journal it. Cry a little if you have to (we all do, welcome to the club). The point is to strip away the external reasons (money, fame, proving your high school English teacher wrong) and get to the emotional truth underneath.
Maybe you write to make people feel seen. Maybe you write because you never had a voice growing up, and now you’re reclaiming it. Maybe you write because you want to challenge the way people see the world.
That’s your why. Raw, honest, and completely yours.
Step 2: Don’t be afraid to evolve. And fail. And fail again. And again. And when you think you know what to do, to fail again.
Plot twist: your why will change. And that’s not only okay, it’s good.
Writers aren’t robots. We grow. We shift. We go through breakups, therapy, existential spirals, and Netflix binges. And all of that shapes the stories we tell and why we tell them.
So if your writing why five years ago was “to make my mark on the world,” but now it’s “to process the chaos of being alive without screaming into the void,” congrats, you’re evolving.
Let your why grow with you. Trust that it will always point you in the right direction, even if the path looks different than you imagined.
Step 3: Find the pattern in your passion. Yes, it does exist.
Look at the stuff you’ve written over the years (even the cringe stuff, especially the cringe stuff). What themes show up again and again?
Are you always writing about lonely people finding connection? Underdogs rising up? Women burning things down and starting over?
There’s a reason you’re drawn to those ideas. They’re not random. They’re little breadcrumbs pointing to your why.
So collect the crumbs. Follow the trail. You might discover you’re not just into dystopian drama, you’re obsessed with power, justice, and the human need to fight back. That’s your why, wearing a sexy little disguise.
Step 4: Stop chasing trends (Seriously, just don’t. Do yourself a big favor.)
Can we have a moment of silence for all the great writers who’ve abandoned their voice trying to chase what’s popular?
Moment of silence.
Cool, thanks.
Now, let me tell you something that might sting a little: the writing world doesn’t need another copycat. It needs you, your weird takes, your messy heart, your honest voice.
Your why is your anchor. When the trends change (and they will), you won’t panic. You’ll keep writing from your core, and your work will resonate because it’s real.
Readers can smell fake from a mile away. But they also know when a story is pulsing with truth. Your why is what makes your work unforgettable.
Step 5: Let your why guide your what
Here’s where things get juicy.
Once you know your why, you can use it to decide what to write next.
Let’s say your why is about helping people feel less alone. Cool. That could look like:
- A memoir about your mental health journey
- A novel where the loner kid finds their crew
- A blog where you talk about all the awkward, beautiful, painful parts of being human
See how your why opens the door to endless whats?
It’s not about limiting yourself. It’s about aligning your work with your heart. And when you do that? Your writing flows better. It hits harder. You stop second-guessing every sentence and start trusting your voice.
Real talk: Your why might make you uncomfortable. Very.
Okay, let’s have a vulnerable moment.
Your why might scare you. It might feel too personal. Too raw. Too “who am I to write this?”. Been there. Felt that.
That’s how you know you’re close.
The truth is, writing from your why takes guts. It means saying the thing you’re afraid to say. It means being seen.
But here’s the flip side: it also means finally connecting. With your readers. With your truth. With the reason you picked up the pen in the first place.
So yeah, your why might make you squirm. But it’ll also make you soar.
Bonus: The tiny magic of a why statement
Here’s a fun little exercise to tie it all together.
Write a single sentence that sums up your why. Something like:
I write to give outsiders a voice.
I write to process grief and turn it into beauty.
I write to challenge the status quo and spark rebellion.
Make it bold. Make it honest. Stick it on your wall, your laptop, your forehead if you’re feeling dramatic.
Let it remind you, on the hard days, what this is all about.
Basically, it’s not rocket science. It’s the voice inside your head. Find it, feel it, follow it.
Your why isn’t some fluffy, optional extra. It’s the engine. The heartbeat. The thing that makes you a writer instead of just a word machine.
And when you find it? Oh honey, buckle up.
You write with more clarity. You attract the right readers. You stop shrinking to fit someone else’s mold. You become dangerous, in the best way.
So go ahead. Find your why.
And then? Write like hell.
Thank you for reading me. I appreciate your presence every time. By the way, did you know that we also have an Instagram, a Facebook AND Twitter account? Yep. We do. You know now.
We think we are cool. Maybe you will give us a follow. It will help us, really. Thank you if you already did. If not, you are not as cool as we thought.
