An Invitation
Writing is such a private affair. I sit behind my laptop and a series of words burst out of me. I stare at them, massage them, delete some of them, or all, and then start again. Slowly, ever so slowly, the story takes its place on the page. There are times when I don’t want to breathe a whisper about what I’m working on. It seems best to keep this world separate at this juncture—between me and the characters. I want to make sure I know them, that they have time to take shape beyond outside influences. I need to feel their words and emotions bubbling under my skin before emerging through my fingertips and out onto the computer screen.
And then, finally, the time comes when I cannot wait for my wife to read it, to share it with my older children, my in-laws and my friends. Putting what you’ve written out into the light can be mind numbing, setting nerves on fire. You are filled with anticipation and anxiety over how this story that has come from within you will be received. If it doesn’t work you can feel rejection and sadness and then, with determination, use that input to revise, reshape or begin again. If the novel strikes home, there is a delight that is somewhat akin to the high of bringing new life into the world.
Many of us who write for a living take the greatest of joy in hearing how the story connected with a reader. We love knowing what emotions the novel may have touched, what memories jarred loose, what insights might have emerged; not simply by what we’ve written but by what the reader brings to the words and plot we’ve created. For, we all know that readers have their own sensibility and experience that both enriches and transforms the story in the alchemy produced by the act of reading. Indeed, the feedback from readers can be like a jolt of electricity for authors, connecting us to the sparks of reaction produced by those who have taken the time to make the journey with us.
I look forward to hearing from you about The Prince of Nantucket or All That Matters. I appreciate your insights, questions, observations, and topics of discussion. I want to hear how the story and characters made you feel—where the story takes you. This dialogue between author and reader carries with it a magic born of imagination. If we’re lucky, this magic turns into meaning in our everyday lives.
I look forward to our sharing it together.