On Being A Writer: When You WANT To Listen To The Voices In Your Head!

I have been writing since I can remember. Creative stories, poetry (I have a poetry book I started when I was a young teenager, and still write in it once in a while) and most recently a 20K word, 10 chapter short story. I have also started brainstorming for the NaNoWriMo challenge of a 50K word novel, which will be tied into my short story.

Recently I was speaking with a fellow author and a friend of almost 10 years. We were discussing how the "voices" (our characters) love to pop ideas in our heads at the most inconvienient times.

Mostly while:

Driving
In the middle of the night
In the shower
Walking down the grocery aisle
Cooking
Walking down the street
Watching TV
Trying to get to sleep
In a PTA meeting

Basically...every second of every day, whether you are awake or sleeping. Appaently, fictional characters NEVER sleep! If I could be like them, then I couls have more than 2 books written by now!!!

Now, if you are not a writer, you may not fully grasp this. But that is ok, writers need readers, and I hope you are one of those!!! We write for you, for our characters and for us.

Not all writers write to make money. Most write because it is our passion. We just love to bring characters to life...or kill off beloved characters, you know, to keep it interesting. Don't hate the author for the death of the character...9 out of 10 times it is for a good reason, or the character just had nothing else to say. But hey, sometimes they come back. so there is always hope.

And remember, we love our characters as much as you do :) Even when we have to kill them!