Translating a World on the Edge

I am a writer. But why?

It’s certainly not for the money. Some people have said I could make more money cleaning houses. Oh sure, there are a sparse few who get rich from writing. So far, I am not one of those.

I don’t write because writing is easy; it isn’t. It is totally time-consuming, and you have to choose to do it–i.e, self-discipline. And sometimes it messes up your mind for days when you are dealing with the problems of your characters–lots of problems because if your characters don’t have problems worth solving, the story isn’t worth writing.

And writing can be lonely–because it must be done alone. There are things you miss. When you are writing, you must focus only on writing. And what happens then? Well, for sure your house does not get cleaned!

So why do I do it?

Maybe because I’ve always been someone who likes to “get to the heart of the matter.” I like to know why and how we human beings love, have compassion, understanding, peace and joy. And also, I like to know the opposite: how we as human beings can hate, have no mercy, and make no attempt whatsoever to understand another.

These are the opposing human traits that battle in my stories. I know those traits well, because at one time or another, I have experienced each of them. Perhaps this is why I write–to become more aware of the battle between those opposing traits in my own life. I know that when my story or novel comes to resolution, I feel personally laundered.

As with every human being, a writer must respect her characters enough to give each of them at least a chance of success whether they take it or not.

I do believe the ability to write creatively is God-given. A spiritual gift in which the author perceives a bond between people, indeed between all living things, that comes from God’s much higher authority. A thing to reach for, always with human choice involved.

In essence, as a writer, I give away all my personal life secrets in stories that are hopefully fulfilling, and in doing so, shed light on a little bit of truth.

So—if you’d care to—tell me what you want to read about. 🙂