Writers are all parents. And they're the only ones who get to pick how they look, how they act. Their character, their rules. Writers birth an entire world.
But what most don't realize is, the rules are the boundaries of the world. The children and the world co-exist. Writers can't force a character to do anything, and if they do, we know it isn't them.
Despite all this, I like to think that they're there for the ride as much as we are. Never knowing where it will end up, never knowing where it will twist and turn. Because things never quite turn out as you plan them.
The one thing I love about writers is that they welcome you into the deepest depths of their soul. You get a glimpse. In that glimpse you see everything they are. That they can be.
So when you write, I hope you do it for yourself. Not for others. Because then is it not only satisfying for the soul, but it's so satisfying when your praised for something that you want to write.