As I sat in my garden, surrounded by the winter frost, I was overwhelmed by an ache to have my work read. It’s the strangest feeling within me, and no amount of rejections will stop the urge and craving.

Reflecting on these thoughts, I discovered that I have a relentless need to create stories of a dark, twisted world, embroiled in psychological fear and destruction – people’s ability to destroy another. I like to challenge my own fears with characters and plot lines – what I fear, others may too – leading hopefully to a good read.

Writing is important to me as it keeps me sane – unless the words aren’t flowing – and it enables me to express emotions and thoughts that would be otherwise locked away – and some of them should be, considering the genre I write in. The pleasure I get  from developing characters and plot lines is immeasurable. Writing is a chance to experience other worlds, and is a consensual world between author and reader, to enter a world we’re not part of, but are curious and intrigued about, even if all for the wrong reasons.

I don’t write to become famous or rich, I write because I need and want to. Of course money would be a delightful bonus, but I don’t dream of that lifestyle.

Writing gives me a sense of purpose, other than being a wife, mother and homemaker. When I was a forensic nurse, I defined myself by that role in the world outside of the home. A sense of achievement and purpose was fulfilled by that role.

Being published would give me that sense of achievement, although I imagine I would keep wanting more of the same – just like I did when I was first published in a professional capacity. I still have the traditional notion of seeing my novels in print, bound by arty covers, but I perhaps need to consider the world of ebooks.

If I didn’t ache so much, I could have given up long ago. However, I have so many stories ricocheting around my brain, the impulse to invent stories is immense.

So why do you write? Is it the potential fame, glory, sense of self-worth and value, or is it something else?

Happy Word Flow One & All