I’ m just coming out of a period when life overwhelmed me and the writing spark withdrew and hid behind the dark places inside, and boy, was it scary. So I’m so madly happy that the spark has once again ignited, that for the moment I need little help returning each day to the current WIP. I usually start by rereading a few pages that I wrote the day before, which warms up the writing muscles, and then I let my characters loose and see where they go!

And on the note of my happiness as I write–I don’t watch much tv (there are exceptions, but that’s a story for another time) but I have seen promos for a new reality show where adults are given a chance to try for the ‘big dream’ they always longed for but never got to pursue. One man wanted to be a professional chef and cook for the President in the White House; one man wanted to drive race cars; one woman wanted to be a professional photographer, so she was getting to do a shoot for Sports Illustrated, and so forth. The excitement and poignancy felt by the people who got this second chance was so moving to watch.

And I marveled and thought how amazingly blessed I have been, despite the low points, despite recent years when I couldn’t write and the early years when I wrote and couldn’t sell, to have still managed to break through the tough nut of publishing, to sell over 50 books to major publishers, get good reviews, occasional awards, the respect of my peers. I have had this dream from childhood, and even though I never became a Stephen King or a J.K. Rowling, I’ve done so much that I hoped for–I need to appreciate how good it has been. And I do, truly. And I hope to carry the writing spark with me for the rest of my journey, and to entertain, move, and illuminate the readers who share the journey with me.
Cheryl Zach