Why I Write: Daddy Are You Proud?

by Dallas Beams, Electric moon team member

In elementary school, I realized I wanted to be a writer. I penned little stories about my family and about worlds I made up on my own; I even illustrated them. These stories were written for my family and I had them read every word. But no one’s eyes ever saw them other than my family.

Until high school, in my first creative writing class. It marked the most embarrassing moment of my entire life and yet it affected my writing in a major way. I had written a shallow cliché story about an “emo” kid (my current obsession) who moved to New York City and became a famous writer. In the peer review, my story was torn apart--completely justified--but I was heart-broken. Thank God all of the stories were anonymous; no one knew it was mine. But, that humiliating moment was the turning point in my career as a writer. It pushed me to write better than I ever thought I could.

Creative Nonfiction to me is an expression, an art. Some people paint their feelings, some people stuff their feelings, and some people talk about their feelings.

I write about my feelings.

I write about moments that have affected my life in a major way.

Writing about these moments is a release for me. Instead of shunning them from my memory and stuffing each instance, I am able to release these emotions by tapping on my computer keyboard.

I think another big part of creative nonfiction for me is to make my parents proud. I don’t know what it is about myself, but my main goal (be it conscious or subconscious) in life is to make my mom and dad swell with pride. I know, I know. It sounds cheesy and fake, but the relationship with my parents is very important to me. And the first time they hold one of my published works in their hands, with a big smile their face, and I hear the words I have been desperate to hear since I was twelve, “I am proud of you,”--I will fall over and die of a happy heart.

What About You?

So, why do you write? To earn the praise of someone close to you? Because you feel this yearning to put pen to paper, or words to computer screen? If you haven’t sought out the answer to why you write, you may be missing out on a great muse for your creativity. A transparent writer who “knows thy self” can write from a deeper place and put forth stronger writing with conviction.

Let us know, why you write. Take an adventure into yourself and tell someone about your epiphany of self discovery.

Dallas is an eMoon associate who specializes in editing and writing.