Part of building my author platform is answering some challenging questions: Not so much WHAT I write, which is quite easy to answer but rather WHY? Ouch! That requires a bit of thinking!
I believe that at heart, I am a teacher. I want to share my life experience, to possibly save others from making the mistakes I made. I like sharing my ideas and conclusions on various matters. Some people on the other hand, like free-flowing conversations about important topics but they feel threatened when they meet someone who has strong views. I have questions too, of course, and enjoy tossing around possible answers to those questions. I am very comfortable not to have answers to everything. I call it part of “the human condition” (not to have all the answers!).
So, to come back to the question of why? – I have some things I would like to teach others; things about life, about relationships, about suffering, why we are here on this earth, about how I resolved (for me) the God question etc. That means, I am looking for readers who are curious, teachable (as someone once said, “the smart way to learn is from others’ and not your mistakes!), who dare ask uncomfortable questions and who are willing to go deeper!
When you think that you have the ability to teach others, you (I) need to be careful a) not to pontificate (it comes rather easy to me but I am aware of its dangers!) b) not to patronise; c) not to be a know-all d) to be open to listening, rather than to major in talking (I learned the hard way with two teenagers!) and I could list many more “caution” points about teaching others!
Another why reason is that I simply love writing; to express myself. I enjoy sharing who I am with others but also to find out how others think and respond to various situations, how they overcome difficulties, as well as to listen to their life stories etc.
Every person has an interesting, worthwhile story to tell, whether we believe it or not!
For this reason, I tell my story, through poetry, an autobiography (first draft done!) and indirectly, through short stories.
I used to be an avid children’s books reader; I absolutely loved all the fairy tales because they taught me important moral lessons. These days, it is rare that children read the world-famous fairy tales by the Grimm Brothers (am I right, parents?), so I have started writing children’s books (two, but still only in draft form). Children, in my view, still need to be taught right from wrong; so I wrote a book about a puppy who wouldn’t share, to teach the value of sharing with others and including others, as I see a lack of this skill in children around me. Some call it the ME generation but I think it is an attitude as old as humanity itself!
That’s about it for now about why I write what I do. Homework done! Feel free to leave your comments 🙂