1) Your words are powerful, and they can make a difference. Have you ever been having a bad day and when you look on social media you find just the words you need to soothe you? What an amazing gift it is to lift someone with your words, and as an author you have that chance. Your words can soothe, convince, incense, and educate. Who wouldn’t want to do that?

2) You only need one yes to be published. I have received so many rejections over the years, and because I am so sensitive most of them still sting. When you receive a rejection tell yourself two things. First, that is only one voice judging your work, and not accepting it does not mean that your writing is trash. Many famous writers received rejections. Secondly, remember that it doesn’t matter how many people say no. What matters is when someone says yes, and it’s a good fit for you. Sometimes, you need to say no to the yes because it is not the best fit.

3) Using writing as a form of expression is healthy. Writing is a great way to release your thoughts and feelings. It’s free therapy for both you and your readers. When I look at Stephen King’s photo on his books I always think that it’s a good thing he is a writer because he looks to me like he could be a potential serial killer if he didn’t have a way to release all his thoughts and plots.

4) You will make amazing connections with your writing.

Writing is both a private and public activity. Your thought process and writing might be in a quiet room at 3 a.m., but when you release your writing It becomes very public. As a writer, you have to market yourself, so I have met a lot of interesting people at vendor events and speaking events. Interacting with other writers is also a learning experience and a great way to make connections.

5) The more you practice your craft the more you can perfect it. Every writer wants to be the best he can be, and to do that he has to practice working with words as well as taking a good look at his writing and reflecting on how to improve it. Reading also helps a writer improve.

6) You will keep your brain strong. Science proves that we must regularly stimulate our brain to keep it strong. Writing makes us reflect on a myriad of topics, and we need to focus on how we form our writing.

7) You can leave a legacy with your writing. A French writer, Ronsard wrote a poem, Il faut Laisser Maisons, which translates to It is Necessary to Leave Houses. What he meant was we need to leave traces of ourselves behind so we will be remembered. Our writing is a way to remember us and what we stood for.

8) You can be an inspiration for another writer. How do you know that you haven’t already encouraged other people to start writing? Someone might decide to follow a passion because you led the way.

9) Writing can be a gift to someone who needs to be celebrated. As a writer, you can write about someone special and tell the world about her. We need to celebrate each other, and writing is a way to do that.

10) If you are like me you have to write because it gives you peace and because you have all sorts of ideas tapping at the edge of your brain demanding to come out. Writing is something you have to do even when you have one of those days when you question whether you should do it.