I asked the writers of Writing On Reality and Dreams to share their thoughts on the creative process of writing. One of the goals of WORD is to support each other in our endeavors, but what drives us to write? What fuels our passion for the written word? Here is what they had to say about having their voices heard.

"I write for the very same reasons, perhaps, that a woman called Moses risked her life- to free so many of her people from the burdensome misery of slavery's strife. I write for the very same reasons that caused Nat Turner to fight for freedom of choice and dignity that is every person's right. I write to get a dream Martin Luther King Jr., shared with us challenging unjust laws and the right to the front of the bus. I write for Malcolm's memory to honor such bold militancy - striving hard to win, in his words, "by any means necessary." I write for the four little black girls who didn't get to speak, who died at the hands of white men whose minds where hateful and weak. I write for a black man with a wallet, against four cops with guns. I write for the poor black mothers who weep for the loss of their sons. I write for my place in this country where my legacy is soaked in tears, writing repairs the toll of Jim Crow and slavery's shameful years. I write to make it known that we are a people who can be proud, a people reaching for skies far beyond racism's lingering cloud. I write to tell the world we deserve much more than we're given, and it is by the cause of true justice that my will to write is driven. Into each word that I write the love of my people is poured. And I pray with all my might, that the pen is mightier that the sword."
Jo ann hopson

"I write because it is a way of expressing myself, a way of living many lives, and seeing many situations. Writing allows me to experience things that I would probably never experience in life‰Û|writing I can stretch myself‰Û|. there are no rules, you can do what you want, anyway that you want to do it‰Û|it's pure inspiration."
Deouan Wilson

"Poetry has been a part of my life since I was 12 years old. I discovered that I could explore my feelings and inner self through writing. I wasn't good at story telling in short story form. But, I discovered that rhyming was a sort of knack for me. Through poetry, I expressed my inner thoughts, my fears, my pains, my triumphs, my mind, my heart, and my soul." "I use poetry to explain my experiences to myself and to those with whom I choose to share my work. Poetry is the window to my heart and the door to my soul. Those who read my poetry read my soul. I use poetry to invite strangers into my soul to take with them a little bit of me."
Gladis Alvarez

"I write because for so long the South African society I grew up in imposed an identity on me that determined who I was and what my position should be within that society. Most importantly, I write because I have had to acknowledge the extent to which many of my people and I have embraced such subjugation. I write to free myself from such subjugation. It is imperative that I contribute to this cathartic process, as some of us continue to be debilitated by the past experiences. More importantly than bringing the past into the present, I focus on bringing the future into the present." "As a consequence of this awareness, I write about my experiences, observations and thoughts about my situation and that of people like me. I write to share publicly, my love and sorrows, my aspirations and defeats. Owning my experiences puts me in a position of power because it enables me to challenge and eliminate any distortions of my experiences. I write to take charge of my life."
Velile Notshulwana

"The most beautiful gift my mother and father gave me was the freedom of expression. I grew up in a home that encouraged emotion and for that I will be forever grateful because I was given emotional health in the process. My family members are also great storytellers. Listening to my mom talk about her tough upbringing in Puerto Rico was always so vivid that I would write out her stories after she was finished. Of course she never knew that it was just for me. My dad is probably the best storyteller this side of Doctor Seuss. The only problem with dad is that some of his stories are as fictitious as Dr. Seuss' but they are great nonetheless. I love walking around with my dad through the streets of our neighborhood - Spanish Harlem. Dad has lived there for 51 years now. He has such a great passion for the community that he has passed it down to me. We walk around and he tells me how much has changed over his years. His memories are endless and they have inspired me to write a book about Spanish Harlem and my family through my dad's eyes and through mine as a first and second generation. When I was about 16 years old I started keeping a journal at the suggestion of my English teacher who really believed in my writing abilities. My Junior High School English teacher, Ms. Belton, aka Ms. B, is the one person who I owe so much to. She was tough on us I have to say, but we learned with her. She uses to give us two essay assignments to complete in class two days a week. She picked topics and put them on a chart against a wall and we had to write a one-page essay around that specific Theme. Most of my classmates hated this. I loved it for some reason. I was only 12 years old at the time but I had Ms. Belton's English class for the 6th, 7th, and 9th grades. At the start my papers would come back with more red that the Russian flag. After a while I started to notice less and less red marks. Less red marks meant more to me than the positive comments because that is how I knew that I was improving. Ms. B was the best, and if I ever do write that book of mine I would find her and ask that she write the forward.
Javiel Vega

"My love of writing began in my junior year at Howard University when I worked as a reporter and editor for The Community News, one of two student newspapers on Howard's campus. One part of me was "terrified" about being thrust out into the community to write stories that were unfolding in the Washington, D.C. area. Yet another part of me was exhilarated and refreshed about exploring the world just beyond Howard University's walls. I was always fascinated after my interviews because I would meet so many new people and learn so much about them during just a brief conversation. One assignment took me to a local school's playground to talk to children and their parents about the uniform dress code that was being implemented in the D.C. public schools. Boy, was I scared. Nevertheless, I put my nerves on hold and after interviewing a few children and parents; I learned that all of them had strong opinions to share about this issue. Some of them welcomed the dress code because it would save money and keep kids from teasing each other about their clothes, while others (mostly children) opposed the idea because it didn't allow them to dress as they pleased." "I also like writing because it allows me to educate and humor people. Telling the stories of others is enjoyable to me because I believe that their stories tell us about history and ourselves. I believe the written word is a very powerful medium because it can be interpreted in many different ways and stays with us for a long time. Nonfiction writing has always been my favorite because it gives me a great deal of exposure and makes me feel as though I am on the cutting edge of current events."
Demetria Harvin

"I started writing in journals, off and on, when I was in high school. They were big composition notebooks, with various subject folders. I even had an introduction to each of my journals, which included a biographical sketch of my life so far that year. I listed my siblings, my current address at that time, my best friends, my interests /hobbies, and of course, the person who I was infatuated with that year. It was my life in review. Writing became my way to validate my reality." "Writing is a form of breathing for me. Without it, I might suffocate under the pressures of day-to-day living without having an outlet to process my life experiences. Writing is my spiritual chant/prayer that I create for me from where I sit and look out upon the world. It is my way of communicating with the ancestors/griots in my blood. I come from a long history of storytellers, kitchen folklore, Old Negro proverbs, mother's wit, and street corner philosophy. Writing is my way of documenting it all, putting it under a microscope to examine from the God's eye view, from below, and at a 360-degree angle." "Writing allows my voice to be heard and to be healed. I hope to empower people through my writing, or at least, present another perspective of the looking glass. My writing has and will take me into the depths of my being. It is a part of me. It allows me to explore who I am and my place in the world."
TS Murphy