Guest Post by Spencer Brokaw – Why I Write

I’ve been corresponding on Twitter with a great young author, Spencer Brokaw, for a while now, and he recently released his second book, The Impenetrable Spy: Future Dreamer. I’d say more, but this blog post isn’t about me, so I’ll just let him speak for himself and say a word about why he writes (which, by the way, contains some awesomely true points).

Why I Write

Hello everybody! My name is Spencer Brokaw, 13-year-old published author of The Impenetrable Spy series, available on Kindle, Nook, iBooks, and in paperback. I wrote part of The Impenetrable Spy when I was 10, finished it at 11, published it at 12, and wrote a follow up—The Impenetrable Spy: Future Dreamer soon after. That was published in August. I am currently working on a spin-off prequel, and am in the middle of editing my first book so the writing is just as good as my newer works.

I believe that writing is the best way to express thoughts. I guess this is one of the many reasons I like music so much, and all the arts for that matter. Being able to express your thoughts and ideas and share them with other people is amazing. I love to write for my own self-enjoyment. I only write for myself. When I sit down thinking of my next story, I’m not crafting a story in mind for 100s or 1,000s of people to read, I’m designing it for myself.

You know when you’re reading a book or watching a movie and you want to change something? Even if it’s the smallest detail, it’s still something you want to change—maybe the way an action scene ends or how a character dies. When you’re writing a story, you’re the artist, director, actor, and screenwriter all combined. You have the choice to do anything you want, and have fun with it in the process.

When I’m writing, it’s like I’m watching my own movie. I can picture the characters, and I see everything exactly as I want to see it. The challenge isn’t putting those thoughts to paper for me, the challenge is the editing and making it as good as it can be afterwards.

I guess my main point is to write with passion. Write because you like it, and if/when you don’t anymore, don’t do it. Do only what you like. I learned some great advice recently: “The day you wake up miserable to go to your job is the day you quit.” This is cliché: but you only live once, so don’t waste life doing the things you don’t enjoy. Don’t write to sell books. Your writing will lack the passion, and it will show. Write because you like it. That’s why I write, and always will.

Like I said, some awesome points. For Spencer’s books on Kindle, click here and here. Also, check out his website, or follow him on Twitter!