Why?

It has been quite a while since I have posted anything here. I have been analyzing my motivations for a long time. My great questions are Why am I a writer? What do I hope to gain from it? What does it do for me? What do I need from it? How can I justify taking time away from my family for a such a trivial pursuit when I know there is pretty much no chance of fame and glory or even monetary gain from it?

As a mom, my family comes first. I feel guilty when I put anything, sometimes even self-care, before their needs. I'm a generally happy person and I really like doing for others. I gain personal satisfaction from it. I am fulfilled. Why do I need to look outside of my family for any type of gratification?

What do I want out of writing? It's not going to make me rich. Most likely, I will lose money on the endeavor. It's not going to make me famous. There are too many fantastic authors out there writing brilliant books who are so much more qualified than me. So what do I hope to achieve if I don't need accolades and have little hope of monetary gain?

Is writing just for the pleasure of it enough? Do I enjoy it enough to devote the necessary amount of time to get something written, edited, and published? I have written one book from start to finish and begun editing but it took years, years of chipping away at it. It has gone through massive transformations but it is finished. Much like when I completed my bachelor's degree (which I don't know if I really use; It's in History and German Language), I feel a sense of accomplishment in finishing it. That is something most people never do.

That leads me to this conclusion. The only real reason I personally have for writing is to entertain, to give people a few hours of escape from whatever they are going through. Hopefully, they like my stories enough to laugh, cry, and feel with and for my characters. This leads back to my desire to help and do for others. I guess that's as good a reason as any.

Love ya. See ya later. Bye.