Writer's Life
Every writer has a different story to tell, whether it's their own, someone else's, or created in their imagination, it's their story to tell. When I published my first book, the moment felt surreal. Then moments turned to days, days to weeks, weeks to months and months to years, but it still takes me by surprise. My surprise doesn't stem from my belief that I didn't think I could do it, although, at times, I've had those thoughts, but it stems from the fact that I'm doing what I really love and working no longer feels like a job, but it's a love, a passion and a need to share my stories with the world.
One of the things I love most about writing is the unique perspective of every writer and knowing every single person can have their own voice. My stories are my voice, but many times I feel like the middle man, the person who shares the stories of my characters. If you're a writer, I'm sure you can understand how characters can come to life and how they can practically take over, telling the story. My job is to help those stories come to life for the reader. I tend to fall in love with my characters. Some of them have been a part of my stories for so long, I feel like I know them, like they're part of my family and I do my best to portray that to my audience.
Story ideas, characters, scenes, plots, conflicts and so much more tend to hit you at the most inconvenient times, but I make sure to make notes on my phone, laptop, tablet, notebook, or anything else I can find at the time, including voice notes as needed. Sometimes the characters may shake you awake in the middle of the night, or hit you between the eyes while you're driving, but I do what I can to not let it slip away into the dark abyss, recording for a later date.
There's never enough time in the day to get it all in, but I'm glad I'm finally able to express myself through my writing. In addition to reading, it's another way for me to fall into someone else's world, real or imagined, and be a part of their adventure and everything it entails. Reading and writing are a way for me to fall in and out of love, feel the passion and heartbreak, learn life lessons, spend time with friends, learn more about different people, different cultures and different worlds, go on adventures and solve mysteries. I never want to stop exploring or challenging myself. I'm grateful for books and for writing. I believe everyone has their own story that deserves to be heard. What's your story?
