Why I Write

In 2023 I was privileged to become involved in an organisation called Converge. Converge is an organisation linked with York St John University that encourages people to write. As I wanted to develop my writing and to receive feedback I joined the writing course called ‘Creative Writing Inspirations’. In April I was invited to contribute a chapter to the book Creative Writing Heals 7. This is my contribution. I decided to use a pseudonym for some of my work.

My tutor told me ‘It’s great and I still enjoy reading it’. He’d read it many times!

WHY I WRITE
Cate Wilder

A writer writes for a number of eclectic reasons.

These are mine.

I write to communicate. To tell my story, and that of others. I write to shine a light on the past; warts and all. I write to reflect on life’s experiences; characters and events merge as narratives are brought to life. Through writing I gain new insight and new insight brings new opportunities. Perhaps even catharsis.

I write to illuminate the present and inform the future; one we may not be ready for. This moment of writing has already become the past. How fleeting that moment is and yet, how important. I write to ease the pain and suffering of life; the anxiety and the stress and equally to share the joyous moments that befall us all. I write because I choose to; because I can.

I write to share my experiences as a woman, an activist and a feminist. I am angered at the impact of misogyny; racism and inequality; violence and hate. I write to share political writing and personal viewpoints. I write to illuminate injustice; to shine a light on the heroines and heroes of our time and those of yesterday. I write because personal narratives need to be told.

I write to expand my language; to evoke a memory of a feeling long since buried. I write to provoke a response. I write to call forth; to summon; to speak my truth. I write to empower, to make sense of life and the world in which we live. I write to connect with who I am. To strengthen my voice. To gain insight. To understand.

We all live life through our unique perspective. I write to leave my imprint. As new memories replace old, I write to preserve them. Contemporary society offers writers a panoply of opportunities for the socially conscious writer. The internet has expanded our world beyond expectations, beyond the confines of our front doors. Social media likewise. Blogs; journal articles; petitions; poems; prose; letters to the editor; to our MPs, even tweets, all help to raise the voice of the disempowered. Used wisely these catalysts have the potential to shock the world into action; to define the undefinable. It has the power to open up a discourse through which we can all share ideas, values and beliefs. It calls to action those who are voiceless. It makes the silence deafening.

Writing expands the universe. It reaches every nook and cranny. Through social media we bring stories to life; we galvanise society; strengthen a call to action, and in so doing, we create everlasting, unwavering change. But using social media is not the only way. It is not a panacea. As with violence; it is not the answer. There was no social media in the 1960s when American people stood firm against racism; discrimination; hate and oppression, or when women fought for suffrage in the UK. Nor was there any social media when the Berlin Wall came down and along with it change on an unprecedented scale. But there was a sense of solidarity. There was hope. There was passion. There was a recognition of the need for change. There was a belief that things could be different. There was the motivation. There was the drive.

When I write, all these emotions come to life. I take a stance. I open my heart and my soul. I look at the world through a lens of compassion and understanding. As an academic I write to entwine the views of others with my own. I write to persuade; to influence; to analyse; to inform. I write to challenge the rhetoric; the oppression; the status quo and the downright ridiculous. I write to make the world a better place.

I want my writing to be all encompassing, creating a strong unadulterated covenant through which we can change the world together. Only when we step inside someone’s else’s world, when we show compassion; empathy and understanding, can we truly make a difference.

I want my writing to help shape the voice of others. To amplify what they hear and see. To endorse what they feel. I want my writing to help turn passion into positive action. And when it happens, I want a promise that such passion will never become the oppressor. The perpetrator. The judge and jury. The executioner. Instead it will become the protagonist, whose actions stir a sense of hope, benevolence and mutual respect. Let passion change the world; not hinder it.

In years to come, when you are ‘pushing up the daisies’ how do you want to be remembered? For your voice? Your humanity? Your compassion? Your impact? Your aspirations? Your love for humankind? What? Decide right now who you want to be. Decide your why. Your how. Reach out to others and give them a hand. Through compassion you can do this. Through dialogue, likewise.

Dialogue creates an emotional connection. Hearing personal stories adds strength to a life lived; the torment felt; the suffering witnessed. It illuminates injustice. It opens up an abundance of care. Agony is heard in the tremble; the quiver. It is seen in the tears; through the eyes of despair. It is seen in the empty pockets; in the hungry faces. It is witnessed in the abject misery.

Writing for social change has the power to shift public opinion; question the unquestionable; challenge the unchallengeable. It has the power to influence. Get the right people, in the right place, at the right time and we can move mountains. By clearly articulating the problem, we can work collaboratively to find a solution. It doesn’t have to be at national level, local is just fine. It may be all that is necessary.

Become a voice of influence. Challenge the arrogance; the nonsense; the self-importance, of those, who through their actions only feather their own nests; feed their own egos. Write to MPs; the council; go to meetings; lobby parliament, lift high the voice of the voiceless. Through action we can create a more just and equitable society. A fairer society where wisdom, compassion and selflessness is the guiding force; not greed or wealth. Not hate or violence. Don’t let power be wielded against you. Find the right message and let your enthusiasm be your powerhouse; your motivating force. We all need to live in a better world. When people take positive action, they become the impetus for positive change.

If you write, encourage others to write with you. It can amplify those forgotten voices. The meek; the mild; the unheard; the disempowered; the forgotten. It can make a difference. It can change the all-pervasive narrative. Put your experience, your love of humanity to good use. Call out the naysayers. After all, chapters in history, that’s all we are. Moments in time, that’s all we have. It’s how we use those moments in time, how we decide the part we want to play, that will undeniably make all the difference.

Writing opens up a door to new possibilities and new ideas. Writing can help develop our unique voice, our self-awareness. It piques our curiosity and our passion. It tells the story of humanity. What makes us human.

Writing for me has become a life strand. I write daily. It helps me to reflect on life. It helps clarify thought; tempers idealism with realism. It helps nurture an inquisitive mind; to gain insight into the lives and perspectives of others. It galvanises my influence, enables me to build an audience; to become a voice to lead. It makes me a better writer. Sometimes, I write nonsense; sometimes it’s a line or two, but through my perseverance it builds and when it builds it takes shape and effortlessly becomes a work of art. Through my writing I have discovered my voice. I have discovered I have a talent. I have a desire to see things as they should be, rather than as they are. And whilst writing stirs a degree of anxiety; of hopelessness; of anger and of sorrow, it also provokes a sense of understanding. It strengthens my knowledge; my enthusiasm to collaborate; to rouse others to action; to change the rhetoric; to imagine the impossible; to make the unbelievable believable.

Through my writing I have experienced epiphanal moments. I gain insight into why I am still here, and when I share my writing with others it becomes transformed. Writing requires energy. Activism requires energy. Emotion fuels the energy and the energy persuades. Through my writing I embark on a personal story of discovery. I learn to navigate the maelstroms; the peaks and troughs of life. Writing for social change relies on the ego of the writer to believe they can make a difference – or why bother?

Good writing takes courage. It takes guts to have my name out there. Not everyone will like my work. But does it really matter? No-one interprets events quite the way I do. No-one feels what I feel. Experiences life, the way I do. Only I can bring my innermost thoughts to life. Only I can bring them to fruition, creating a profound and inspired existence, through which I experience a world less ordinary.

When I write, I write through reflection. Such a deep level of reflection often brings with it catharsis, creating a sense of peaceful knowing and a deep level of self-awareness. It allows my narrative to come to life. It allows me to push my curiosity; to strengthen my courage. It generates a sense of adventure and a willingness to experience what lies beyond.

I’m always looking for the next adventure; the next opportunity, and undeniably they come my way. I never give up; well not easily, and I strive to make the world a better place. Occasionally, I bring others along for the ride.

Why not join me?

We all need to make a difference. No matter how small. Collective action is the key. But we have to keep going. We need to keep attending the meetings. We need to keep calling out those who care little about the community; concerned only about themselves. But, until caring and empathic people come together, the need for change will be forgotten. The noise will die down. And it will be just another day at the office. Just another day that a child dies needlessly. Just another day that an elderly person dies alone. A mother goes hungry to feed her children. Just another day when a tragic error is made. A woman is murdered by the very person who purports to love her.

Enough of the rhetoric. I’m asking myself right now – What can I do to make a difference? Please I urge you, ask what can you do?

A quote sits in a frame at the side of my bed – it says ‘Let her sleep for when she wakes she will move mountains.’ Each morning when I awake…I intend to do just that.

THE END