I've been writing as long as I can remember.  Before I knew how to write, this was called "lying".  Writing is better.

My favorite writers include Jonathan Carroll, Richard Matheson, Stephen King, Poppy Z. Brite, and Kurt Vonnegut.  Yes, I have eclectic taste.

Why do I write?  The better question is why wouldn't I write?  It's like breathing, like food.  If I'm not writing a story, I'm thinking about a story, trying to figure out how to make an idea work in a new, interesting way that excites me.