Writing for the fun of it

                                              Writing for the fun of it

 

                                                         By Lee Hyon-soo

 

What drives one to write? To answer this question, George Orwell, Britain’s renowned novelist and essayist, wrote an essay titled “Why I Write” in 1946. In this essay he explores the reasons why writers write, citing his own example.

 

Orwell says that putting aside the need to earn a living, there are four great motives for writing, particularly for writing prose. They are sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose. Orwell elaborates on these motives as follows:

 

“Sheer egoism: Desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death, to get your own back on the grown-ups who snubbed you in childhood, etc. etc.”

 

“Aesthetic enthusiasm: Perception of beauty in the external world, or, on the other hand, in words and their right arrangement.”

 

“Historical impulse: Desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity.”

 

“Political purpose: Desire to push the world in a certain direction, to alter other peoples’ idea of the kind of society that they should strive after.”

 

I have penned many newspaper articles on a wide range of subjects over a long period of time. That being the case, Orwell’s essay prompts me to wonder what drives me to write. If I write for the fun of it, how does it fit in with the four motives mentioned above?

 

The four motives are not mutually exclusive. As a matter of fact, Orwell says that the four motives exist in different degrees in every writer. In my case, perhaps the first motive – that is, sheer egoism – may outweigh the other motives.

 

As I am a self-taught writer, it might interest you to know how I got started. Since adolescence I have been reading widely. I delved into such disciplines as history, philosophy, religion, literature and art, thereby benefiting from the great minds of the past and the present. Not only did reading enlighten me, but it also enhanced my critical and creative thinking skills.

 

There is a saying that reading and writing go hand in hand and reading is the best form of inspiration for a writer. An avid reader, I thought that I might have a solid foundation on which to try my hand at writing.

 

In my late 30s, I started to write newspaper articles. I got off to a shaky start because I was never trained to be a writer. It was an uphill struggle to acquire the craftsmanship of writing by myself without anyone’s help. But I persevered and honed my writing skills over time.

 

When I have an interesting story worth sharing or a seemingly insightful thought pops into my mind, I put pen to paper. And if I manage to produce a piece of writing that turns out to be presentable, I contribute it to newspapers or post it on social media for what it is worth. It is my way of interacting with the general public.

 

I really enjoy immersing myself in writing. And nothing delights me more than the favorable feedback that I receive from those who have taken the trouble to read my articles.

 

 

The Korea Times

March 2022