What compelled you to become a writer?

Why put yourself through the time-consuming arduous task of writing a novel, with little chance of financial reward?

I was driven by an Idea I had as a child, which inspired me to attempt to write a historical, action-adventure novel in the chivalric genre. It has been a long, exhausting struggle, and is ongoing, but I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience. I hope that by the summer of 2016, my novel will be ready to submit to Agents.