I like to trail run. Sometimes I’ll go out for miles and hours at a time. It’s meditative and rejuvenating to be out there in nature. Often times, not even a mile or so in from the trailhead, I won’t see another soul until heading back, getting closer to the trailhead once again. Whatever the reason, people generally don’t put in the effort to go much further than a mile (or less) from the trailhead. I don't understand why, but they’re missing out–the real unlocking is getting in deeper, to places that are almost soulful in their beauty and simplicity. Every season imparting its own unique feel and virtues, the weather providing its own filter on the experience. This is my escape, my way to recharge, and it’s essential to my staying power and stamina. Moreover, it takes self-motivation and unflagging effort, both of which are often left unseen by anyone else except those truly close to me.
Writing is similar for me. I write because I enjoy building worlds, meeting the people that live in them, and then taking them to the brink of destruction, but, like trail running, it’s typically a lonely endeavor that takes a healthy dose of perseverance. Still, the ability to move others to see and live a common experience through a collection of written words is extraordinary. As a writer, we exist in community with our readers, learning, sharing, and growing together as the story unfolds through the words laid out from page to page. That’s why I write.
Why do you spend your precious time writing?
Why do I spend my precious time writing? That's like asking me why I breathe. (Actually, it's to keep my brain from overloading and either exploding or shorting out, neither of which would be a pleasant outcome.)
How else am I going to be able to read the stories in my head?