Why do you want to be a writer?

I've been reading David Morrell's Lessons From a Lifetime of Writing: A novelist looks at his craft and recommend it, highly.

David Morrell has a very real life, practical, but inspiring approach. A lot of what he says, really resonates with the sort of writer I want to be.

His first chapter is an especially good one for anyone who is serious about getting published.
"Why do you want to be a writer?"

There are so many answers.
I thought of this cool idea, I need money, I have extra time, being a writer is cool, I want to be famous, etc...etc... These aren't going to push you through all the times of discouragement in a writer's life. Writing for money or fame is an especially bad idea. The average income of a writer in America today is $6,500! And how many hours did that take bent over your computer?

So, when I ask myself why I want to be a writer, I have a lot of answers, but only a couple that stand up in an investigation.
When I write, everything feels better. Its a creative side of me that needs to be used. Its a way to talk about deep, challenging, and confusing things. So much of our own lives and emotions come out in writing.
My most influential motivation is that I believe that the books people read greatly effect the way they think and live.
I know I have been shaped by a lot of the books I've read.
If I could influence one person the way I have been influenced by Sigmund Brouwer's Samuel Keaton series or in some way lik A Tale of Two Cities I would be inexplicably happy!

I believe that people can be influenced by characters in books and by there change. I believe writers of books, lyrics, and movie scripts, have some of the greatest power of all. When this is wielded correctly it can be one of the best life changing tools we have.

There is so much work and discouragement to writing though. What gets us through?

Is it because we have to write?
Because a story simply must be told? Do we have to put our creativity down on paper? Is this part of our image bearing? To create? To tell stories? Are writers really different then other people or is it just a cultivated difference? Is it simply a way we can let out feelings and emotions we don't want to talk about?

Do you want to be a writer?

Why?