I’m pretty rubbish at self promotion and talking about things. But I’m taking a writing break, and so of course I’m thinking about writing. I thought I’d ramble a bit about what writing is and does for me…

“Talk it out” is a truth, something that requires the words articulated in order to find the answer. When we’re talking through plot issues or possibilities, we often find our way back into the story, and even discover something new about it along the way. Being married to another author is perfect for this, as is being surrounded by lots of other authors.

It’s often true with writing as well–the act of creating words can take you down paths you haven’t consciously thought of yet. Speaking from the heart–the very act of using words, of creating sentences, can reveal to us what we’re truly feeling. And I think those are the best books–the ones that resonate on an emotional level, where you’ve written from the heart and bled onto the page. When you just…let go.

There’s something magical about acting as a conduit, coming from a place where words flow, where the story comes from somewhere else, where you lose track of time and when you reach for the next moment and it’s automatically there. I love these moments. When you’re writing and you surprise yourself with some plot thing you didn’t know was going to happen, or your characters say something that makes you laugh, as though it didn’t just come out of your head. When you can reach that kind of flow as a writer, it’s a special place to sit for the moment you can hold onto it.

Being a writer a is a calling, I think. You have an inescapable desire to share your stories, to create and give, no matter the work and low returns. Writing is my catharsis, it’s something I enjoy, something that lets me talk about the world and issues and hard things within a bubble of creativity that I can’t get through any other medium.

It’s magic, and I’m lucky to wield the pen.

*oh, and in an effort to overcome the self promotion issues–my latest book, Spinning Tales is out now, and Changing Course is available for pre-order. You can find them here. *