Let me guess: you had great dreams for your writing life this year. Maybe you wanted to finally finish your novel. Or you planned to write that ebook on how to succeed in business. Or you dreamed about pouring your heart out in a memoir.

But it didn’t happen.

I am sure you have a lot of ambitions for the new year. Heck, I am sure you are recycling your old dreams and adding some new ones. But unless you want to fall back into the same “I’ll do it later” patterns, you have to remember one big thing: why you are writing in the first place.

I am going to tell you a story, but I swear it is relevant. My husband and I went to Georgetown Glow this year. It is basically a really cool holiday tradition that has modern art displays that are made of lights.

My favorite one? It is called “Resonant Stacks.”  People scream into a little part of the stack, and the stack turns into music. As if that were not enough, it also triggers a beautiful light display. Basically, your ugly, painful sound is transformed into something gorgeous that other people can enjoy.

That is a metaphor for why I write. I write so that my painful emotions are turned into something lovely that other people can witness. That’s what keeps me typing every single day. Writing turns my pain into poetry. 

Don’t know your why? Don’t worry. Spend some time journaling. When did you start writing? What sparked it? What do you hope to achieve by writing? Who are your writing to? What do you want to tell him or her?

Once you have your why, put it everywhere. Write it on a post-it note and put it on your mirror. Have it as your computer backdrop. Make it a reminder in your cellphone. Put it in a frame in your office. Put it everywhere, so you don’t forget.

When you are stuck or think you will write “tomorrow” (a day that never comes), remember your why. And start writing. 

Tell me about your why in the comments below!