Why I Write

I write in order to put the world into words. I've always done that in my head. I can't perceive anything without trying to find words for it. When I began to put the words down on paper and work at getting them exactly right I became a writer. I do this with a pen; I enjoy the physical pleasure of forming the letters, the ink flowing. The way words look is important, and so is the way they sound. I'm interested in the way that getting the sound right, in terms of their music, the rhythm, the variations and repetitions of syllables, makes the words mean what you want them to say, so that sometimes finding the way things should sound achieves the meaning that you are looking for. Sometimes I think the words are more important than the things. When I find the words I'll know what the things are.