On October 21st, children across the land will let their creative flair guide them as schools take part in Everybody Writes Day. It will be a day to postpone the curriculum and engage in a number of writing exercises, word games, and general writing fun. But it is also a day for adults to let themselves be free from constraints, and give writing a go.

Writing is brilliant. And I say this, not because I have been writing all of my life and spent three intense years at University studying and perfecting the art, but because . . . no, that is exactly why I a saying it. One of the most frequent questions I fielding from my peer group during this time was "why?" Open-ended, sure, but I knew what they were getting at.

Why do I write? Why do other people write? I cannot speak for everyone else, but I imagine several of my points will be pertinent to the vast majority.

• It's a form of escapism, allowing us to enter another life, another world, another time even. Not because we are unhappy with our own, but because it's interesting, psychologically, to see through the eyes of someone else.
• It's a form of relief. Sometimes we have feelings that we just cannot share; it may be love for someone else, it may be hatred to another, it could be anything. Writing allows us to vent these feelings, give them an outlet, without creating trouble for yourself (er, most of the time).
• It's fun. Seriously, long gone are the days for most of you where you are forced to sit and write with the threat of a teacher's ruler striking your knuckles if you don't. Give it a try, and you never know where it might take you.
• It's all around us. Writing is an important part of any life. Think about it, and you'll discover it's there. At work, written communication is often key. When you go shopping, that list you wrote, it's something. Even for those of us that text far more than is healthy, it's all still the written word. You could be the next Poet Laureate, and not even know it yet.

My list could go on and on, but you get the idea. Writing isn't only an important feature of life, but it can be fun and a form of therapy. And it costs a lot less than sitting on a leather sofa whilst being stared at by a man in trousers that are higher than decency allows.

So, this Everybody Writes Day, be one of those that takes part. Even for a few minutes, clear your mind, and see where the pen takes you. It may have surprising results.

For more information about Everybody Writes Day, visit the website located here. And, who knows, maybe it'll inspire you to take things a step further, and take part in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November.