Writing is a form of daydreaming. Actually, I like to daydream. I could spend my whole life thinking up and thinking about stories, fictional as well as non-fictional. Of course, it would be ultimately self-defeating because I’d never get anything else done, and there are necessities that have to be taken care of in order to live out the entirety of one’s life. Eating, sleeping, laundry, etc., etc. You get the idea.
But writing is a different matter. Writing puts down on paper or on a computer screen all those daydreams and makes them come alive. Outside the confines of a limited brainstorm. If I think up a good premise for a story, while I’m working on it in my head, I can’t visualize every little detail and nuance that makes the story real and logical, even if it is a science fiction piece. I have to work it out; I have to check each action of each of character against all those of the others to make sure everything is reasonable, and that the story proceeds in a convincing direction. Many times I’ve thought up a story or a part of a novel only to find that when I got it down on the com screen, it wouldn’t work either as a story by itself or as a part of a larger piece because in my mind I couldn’t take care of every detail. Small details can make a big difference. All of that takes time, sure, but it results in a story that not only makes sense but can be pleasing and entertaining to someone else. The satisfaction of that cannot be overestimated.
Some people get their kicks by drinking alcohol or snorting drugs or smoking pot or whatever. I get my reward from the feedback others give me about my writing. Especially if it’s good feedback. Daydreaming is just the first step. Probably all authors daydream to one extent or another. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if all people daydream. An author is simply a person who puts his/her daydreams down in a tangible format so that others can enjoy them. It takes a certain amount of time to master the techniques of writing so that a story is smoothly and logically told, but writing is basically just a way of taking what seems to be wasted time and making a living out of it.