Today is National Writing Day, so as a writer and published author I thought I would share some of the reasons I write with you. As an avid reader myself, I am always curious about the person behind the narrative's I read.

So here goes:

I write because I enjoy creating imaginary worlds, its characters and their stories. To weave a story around characters that I have conjured up in my mind, gives me not only satisfaction, but also allows me to be creative. It is a kind of escape really. I can become immersed in another world, where everything is possible through my fingertips. As a naturally creative person, who has tried many forms of creative expression throughout my life, writing has given me the ultimate power. I am omnipotent. I can place characters in different eras, on other planets, in magical kingdoms – wherever I want. I also become invested in a life I have not personally experienced, for example my latest novel, Willow Tree Tears is based on a barrel racer. I have not grown up on a horse ranch, or barrel raced, but have attended a rodeo and met ‘real’ cowboys on a cattle ranch. Utilizing these encounters and with subsequent research, I was able to create a storyline. I can live someone else’s life vicariously. This is the fascination with this particular creative endeavour there is no limit to what I can create in terms of story.

My writing is propelled by an abundance of ideas, which come from multiple sources – dreams, situations, overheard conversation, news stories, writing prompts and more. It is very crowded in my head with old characters that linger like old friends and new ones cambering for my attention. Some can even ‘shout’ loud enough for me to put a current manuscript on the backburner to appease them. This is further complicated as I write in multiple genres and age groups. However, I do not have a problem compartmentalizing my ideas, or narratives. I’m not sure if this is a psychological gift or something else! Anyway let’s not delve into possible multiple personalities, okay? Once an idea forms I write to the story, going with the flow of the character’s and their plight. It is like a movie in my head, I ‘see’ the tale. Being a free flow writer I have experienced many redirections in my narratives, by which I mean, I may have an initial idea where the story is going, who or what it is about, but some kind of subconscious director dictates the story line and propels me into new unexpected directions taking over and guiding me elsewhere. We say we all have a Muse and this is mine, a weaver of story leading me forward. I never fight this urge to change course as I find this the most exciting part of writing and creating. As for choosing the story’s genre and age group that is easy, as the narrative unfolds it quickly becomes evident and I make adjustments in the editing phase if verbiage or theme is not suitable for a particular genre, or age group.

Love is the Core

It wasn’t until several years ago, when I challenged myself to do a deep dive into the central theme of my writing, that I discovered that love is at the core of all of my narratives. It may be romantic love but also love for siblings, friends, the environment etc. It is a complex emotion and is at the center of human life. We are all individual and unique and I hope that comes across in my characters. Each of us is a product of our upbringing, location, and culture, but also of our life experiences. I can ‘live’ multiple other lives and experiences through my storytelling, due to research and adapting my own knowledge into a narrative to capture the ‘realness’ of the characters and their stories.

The other aspect of why I write is that I want to continue my contribution and connection to the writing community by way of encouragement, support and mentoring. It is why I have continued to be Secretary for the Writers Foundation of Strathcona County since 2009. It allows me to connect with local writers and authors, but I can also connect via the internet, podcasts, interviews, and my website etc. to writers around the globe. We write alone but the community is vast and just a click away. We have such an immersing and accepting community, whether we write the same genre or not, we are writers to our core and that is our cosmic link to each other.

I hope to continue writing for as long as I can see and type and even then, maybe I can utilize modern technology to continue! I want my stories to be my legacy. To be read and enjoyed for future generations and hopefully give a glimpse into my personality when I am gone. Instead of just the ‘dash’ on the gravestone there will be a pile of books to note my contribution to literature. It is a way of paying it forward into the future.

As always I am more than happy to answer questions on my writing life, my inspirations and any queries on my published works. Just drop a comment here: