1. Usually when you’re writing on your own time, you’re working on a story that is meaningful to you in some special way.
2. Stress. So much stress.
3. There are moments when everything falls into place, and your story comes together, and it’s everything you hoped it would be, and come on, who wouldn’t cry after that?
4. Stories can move you deeply even when you’re the one telling them.
5. Writing requires that you know your characters, which means when they hurt, you hurt too.
6. Writers often tap into their own emotions while writing to make certain scenes in their stories more powerful.
7. Just because a story turns out a certain way doesn’t mean we’re HAPPY about it always!!
8. The writing life is tough. Sometimes you just need a good cry so you can get back to work.
9. Maybe our hands just hurt? Because of all the typing?
10. We secretly wish, some days, we could escape into our fictional worlds and stay there for a while. Even though we can only visit for a very short time.
11. With every word we write, our dreams are a little closer to coming true. Yep. That one got me.
12. BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS. That is why we write, to give those feelings someplace to go.
Meg is the creator of Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. She is a staff writer with The Cheat Sheet, a freelance editor and writer, and a 10-time NaNoWriMo winner. Follow Meg on Twitter for tweets about writing, food and nerdy things.
Meg Dowell Writes 
Meg, I hear you with #10. My writing does provide me with an escape, however short, from the daily rituals called life.
Yes! I cried when I finished the first draft of my novel–such a relief, but sad at not living anymore with these characters that I’ve actually known longer than I’ve known my own children!
Point #6 has so much relevance. My writing strength doubled during emotional down time. Somehow all the words that I’ve never thought of before, came out of the blue!