Reasons to write

Next week, Random Distractions will celebrate its seventh birthday. For the first four or five years blog posts appeared on an almost daily basis and, looking back over them, they were of a reasonable standard of either writing or interest and sometimes both. I am surprised at what I used to produce! Then came the slump. I ran out of something: ideas, enthusiasm, time? The grandchildren came along and I started knitting and sewing and taking lots of photos and, before I noticed it happening, RD had transmuted into a domestic blog. I have nothing at all against domestic blogs, I am an avid reader of several, but that wasn't my intention when I took my first tentative steps into the blogosphere and I think that is why I sit here at my desk, day after day, wondering what to write about and then switching off.

I have, several times, decided to close RD. Some of my favourite bloggers have already done the same, feeling that 5 years is probably the life expectancy of a blog. I was really saddened at the latest exit from my group of online friends: no more Letters from a hillfarm from Nan. I have, however, discovered a new blog that is a joy to read with its eclectic mix of interesting, informative and entertaining articles. Across the Way reminds me of the many random distractions I used to share. I love it but it also is a painful reminder of my current laziness.

In yesterday's writing group, my friend and writing mentor, D of 60 going on 16, asked us to consider our reasons for writing. I am, actually, finding it much easier to put pencil to paper than fingers to keyboard! However, I thought I might explore some of the reasons to write here, maybe sharing them with others will help clarify what I should do about Random Distractions.

My current bedtime reading is the Slightly Foxed Quarterly. I just have time to read a couple of articles before nodding off and last night I came to the final article, Flouting Destiny by Roger Jones. I almost jumped out of bed when I realised that the subject matter was reasons for writing. He begins by telling us that British publisher turn out 200,000 new titles every year and advises that anyone contemplating adding one more book to this print mountain should ask themselves why they are doing this. He goes on to explore the reasons that other writers have given:

1. According to Dr Johnson, "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."
2. George Orwell suggests REVENGE as a motive. Roger Jones expands this  to mean the writer's desire to order things into a more satisfactory form than that in which he has experienced it.
3. A desire to change the world by moulding readers' thoughts.
4. The desire to arrange one's own thoughts.
5. Vanity.
6. What he calls the Ancient Mariner scenario - the urge to tell someone something.

Well, as far as blogging is concerned, money isn't a motive. A few people have made a financial coup from their blogs but I'm sure that 99% or more have no such motive. I think that my reasons would be a mixture of 4 and 6. I suspect that there might be a touch of 5 in my posts about the grandchildren and the things I have made. I shall ponder some more.

I would love to know your reasons for writing. What has Mr Jones missed?