I have a friend who asked me recently what he should write, not because he did not have ideas, but because he had too many. I suggested he write what kept him up at night—the idea that begged to be put on the page, the one that would not let go. When he complained writing was difficult when distracted by the multitude of ideas, I referred him to my favorite book about writing: Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Marie Rilke.
I love this book so much I have two copies—one that is marked up and written in, so filled with marginalia I can barely make out the text at this point, and one that is pristine. I read them side-by-side to compare my thoughts recorded through the years in the first and the one that invites new ideas in the second.
Rilke encourages writers to find what moves them, not only to write but what to write. It is an amazing book containing ten letters. If you have not read it, I highly recommend it.
My favorite quote is the one where Rilke urges his young apprentice to seek the reason he must write.
“Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depth of your heart; confess to yourself you would have to die if you were forbidden to write.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke
I love this quote because it urges all writers to look within themselves to discover what makes them writers. It forces us to define that indefinable thing that drives us. It forces us to accept the truth of our calling and the depth of our commitment. If you could live without writing, then you have to decide whether the struggle is worth it to you.
For me, it is. Story drives me. I need to write my stories down, but I also need to wallow in stories I find. I cannot live without story, whether it is a shared story from a friend or one I find in the pages of another book or on the screen. Story drives me. It is what drives me to write.
I think writers need to find out what drives them to write. What is their center? What is that indispensable part of themselves that must exist for them to be? Then use that center to drive your work. It is the best way to stay on the path and create work that fulfills you.