What's Your Passion

I was having a pity party a few weeks ago. Ice-cream and marshmallows were involved.  I think this was the day I found that 6-year old rejection letter. Anyway, my husband bravely stepped in and asked me why I write? You struggling authors know the minefield my husband traversed in order to ask me this question at that particular moment. 

Why do I write? Travis' question got me thinking. I was grateful for his question because it made me stop and remember why.

I write because I love it. I love sitting down and being in that “zone,” you know, those moments when the story pours from you almost effortlessly. (For me, the hard part comes with editing). Writing can be addictive, just as reading and shopping can be. I am an addict! But the best part is, unlike while reading, my characters do whatever I want them to…and the enjoyment is prolonged because it takes a LONG time to write a novel. It’s my passion.

I was even revising on vacation…yes, I know, I have a problem. :)

What do I write? I write whatever story keeps me up late at night. You authors know what I mean. It’s late and you have a thousand things to do in the morning, yet, you can’t sleep because you hear conversations between characters replaying themselves over and over in your mind. For me, its usually dramatic scenes where one character is telling another character off.  I think this is due to the fact that I am probably one of the most anti-confrontational people you will ever meet. Having to “talk” to someone about something unpleasant makes me severally ill. So, these scenes are me spewing out what I would never say in person.  (It’s my cheap form of therapy, I suppose.)

The muse comes at other times as well.  You would be surprised by how many times I have zoned out of a conversation with someone because all of a sudden an idea pops in my head.  I drive my friends crazy!

I do think having a passion is important. It doesn’t matter what it is… I know people who spend hours knitting, or painting, drawing, home design, the sciences, genealogy or blogging.  I even know someone who is passionate about organizing. Life is full of responsibilities, things we have to do to be functional. It’s healthy to take time out of the crazy hustle and bustle of our lives to do something that fills our spirits, something that keeps us up late at night because we can't wait for the dawn when we get to write, knit…organize.

So, what is your passion?