The Ongoing Conversation (Amy K. Nichols)

When I saw this month's topic, "why we write", my immediate answer was because I have something to say.

Then I thought, No, that's not quite right. The more I write, the more I realize I'm searching for what it is I have to say.

So, do I write to find myself? Perhaps. But that feels too...shallow. Self-serving. No, it's something bigger than that for me.

Story. Story is at the heart of why I write. I love stories. Most pinnacle moments in my life involve story in some form. But again, it's not just about me.

Stories are powerful. That's closer.

Stories can change lives. Yes, that I believe. Absolutely. Stories have changed my life. I've seen stories change the lives of others.

Stories change lives by revealing truths about people and about the world.

YES.

Stories revealing truths about people and the world are part of a larger, ongoing conversation about who we are, who we've been, and who we might become.

That's it.

That is why I write.

I write because I want to be part of that conversation.