Writing Love

July 10, 2016 | News | 2 comments

I love being a writer. I love when words pop into my head, words I’ve not heard in years or can’t recall ever hearing at all, and fall into just the right places when I’m in the midst of writing. I love hearing the voices of my characters swirl and somersault in my head, speaking as though they’re in the room with me, conversing over my shoulder, loud and clear. I love when my novel is checked out at the public library (I still can’t believe that people I don’t know are reading it, let alone believe I even have a published novel out in the diverse and wonderful book world for people to read at all). I love appearing at writers’ conferences, on author panels, podcasts, and book stores to talk books and writing, and to meet people like myself – book lovers who are happiest when reading and/or writing. Did you know that book store owners and their wonderful staff, and librarians as well, are an incredibly generous and happy group of people? I’ve had a long standing love affair with the public library, and now that I’ve met and gotten to know many of those who create the steam that runs the library engines, all I can say is wow! Librarians serve in a noble, imagination-steering, life-saving profession (at least as far as the mental welfare of this patron is concerned – my local library was my haven). I’ve yet to meet a librarian I didn’t respect and like, and the same goes for book store owners who are not selling to earn $$$$, but are in the business primarily for the love of books.

The writing world is the one where I feel my breath, my mind, my very soul soar. Recently, I was one of four, first-time author panelists at the Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference. I sat on the stage and looked out at the audience of 150 or so, and my heart nearly burst with gratitude. When a question by an audience member was directed at me, I nearly erupted in happy tears. Fortunately, I have honed my self control skills, so my secret internal outbursts are known to no one but me, and now you, my dear reader.

To take a little time, no matter what our jobs or daily duties, to spend on activities we love, on our passions, and on what truly gives us a sense of contentment, is what we should strive to accomplish. The love we pour into what we enjoy doing, can’t help but stream out into all areas of our own lives, as well as into the lives of those with whom we have contact. A simple way to spread happiness.