How And Why Do Writers Write?

This piece relates to an audio file from my FutureLearn course. Six authors reate their stories of how they came to write and then we are asked to say what parts of their tales we relate to. This is what I wrote:

I found it both interesting and a little disheartening to hear these authors stories. I don't have a highly literate family behind me, though I consider myself quite eloquent with written words, though not in speaking. I am horrendously shy around strangers.

The first speaker was closest to myelf I felt. I can relate to his background with comics and drawing. Expressing my cultural identity matters to me too when I write, as you may have seen if you have been to any of my blogs.

It's not been 'always there', either. I've expressed my storytelling in other ways than writing, and I suppose in that sense it has always been in me. I was a solitary child, and I made things up to amuse myself, often quite complicated alternate realities and complex adventures and relationships.

'Stumbling into it' and reacting to life changes, I guess I can relate to. I do that with my whole existence. Writing 'things', too, and then trying to connect them, rings bells. And I suppose uing writing as entertainment and therapy for myself does too. So I guess I'm not that different to these author after all.