Writing for the Sake of Writing

I never really buy it when writers talk about writing for the sake of writing.  No one writes down words just to see the words being put down any more than they pour a glass of water just to see the water being poured.  There must be another reason—maybe the writer can't articulate it, but something is going on underneath.  I don't fully understand it myself, but I don't buy the explanation they usually give.  Writing is organized thinking that happens to also be recorded.  It is above the letters being formed on the paper that the action is really taking place, and later it is above the printed letters on the bounded pages that another action then takes place—which is why I also don't buy that readers ever read merely for the sake of reading.  Maybe they can't put words to it, but there is something else there—something happening that they enjoy.  But it's not the reading of the words on the paper.  

So what is it that's really happening?  When you find that out, please let me know.