Hidden Messages

Aside from being a writer, I am a reader. I love books and I read from all kinds of points of view. I love falling into a story and forgetting reality. My mind enjoys the puzzle quality of analysis, so tearing a story apart, looking for deeper meaning is fun. Finding themes across books, looking for hidden meanings, even comparing symbolism and reality is entertaining. And of course, everyone’s favorite, finding the mistakes left behind by authors and editors.

All of that does not make me a perfect writer, it does not mean I don’t struggle to find the simple and complex mistakes. It does not mean that huge, name mistakes, don’t happen in my books, or that I don’t misuse a symbol. What it does mean is that I try, as I write, to create a treasure trove of goodies for readers to find. However, all the mistakes are mine.

Writing is a joy, relief, and a labor of love. It takes enormous concentration and there is an unbelievable euphoria that overtakes me when the first draft is done. The satisfaction of polish and weeding out the unneeded words is immense, hard but huge. Struggling over the best punctuation and finding that specific phrase or word needed is thrilling. Moving the story forward, finding mistakes, looking it over, and over again is tingly to the senses.

Having someone else read and enjoy the characters and story you created, is beyond words. One of the best compliments is when a reader talks about my characters as if they were their people. That feeling is gold and diamonds rolled into one.

Enjoy the weekend and read to a happy place.