We all have them.

What are yours?

What do you dream about? What gets your heart racing in the morning? What lights your fire through out the day?

What are your demons? What do you fight and struggle with, within yourself? Things that most people don't know about that you struggle with daily. What makes life challenging for you?

Good writers channel both their dreams and their demons into their writing. Writing is an art, and artists channel their inner selves into their work. Those things we struggle with, we put into words and flesh them out into fictional or non-fictional characters to bring them to life on the page...or screen. We attribute our own characteristics and characteristics of people we know and people we meet into these two-dimensional beings to make them seem three-dimensional. We have to live in the character's world for a while, then add heart and soul to each two-dimensional figure head.

We do this so that...

As a reader, you become completely engulfed in this world that we've presented to you. The goal is that we've reached into you mind, into your heart, into your soul, and touched, fondled, even squeezed and yanked your personal dreams and demons and ripped them out of you and placed them on the page or screen in front of you. We've put them right in front of your eyes and make you stand up and take notice of them. We've brought them to life for you to the extent that you can't deny their existence...if even for a few hours.

And we do this....to please you, the reader.

Yes, we bring your demons and dreams to the forefront of your mind and our demons and dreams to them...to entertain you. To please you. To make you happy.

To give you a break from your own life. And to pull you into our life.

Just briefly.

Then we'll let the chain drop that we've yanked you out with and let you fall back to your comfort zone, putting all of your dreams and demons back in their safe place.

But just until you read our next book ;)

Well, technically, not the mouth attached to my own body, but nevertheless.

Readers always say they want a peak into the writer's life.

Well, let me tell ya. That peak can be pretty boring. I mean...sticking in headphones, cranking the music, putting fingers to keyboard, and typing away to paint with words that pictures that are going through my mind. Taking a break for the potty or to eat, then back to fingers pounding keys. Yes, it's so entirely utterly amazingly glamorous. Ahem.

Ok, ok. I do happen to have a quick story I can share today about my writer's life.

Took two of my kids walking today. Been trying to do that some since the weather is nice enough, now. Took them around my complex as I have a few times. Today, walking around one corner, we saw another child. Cool. Maybe a new friend for my two year old girl.

My little girl just watched this new child. Watched with much interest. So, that mom and I start talking. Her name is Karen. She introduces me to her mom, whom she lives with. Before long we're talking about tattoos and a local artist that people confuse me with. That takes us to writing. This leads them to tell me that her mom is published in a local publication back home.

Then, my blabber mouth tries to change the subject. No, not the mouth on my own body. My blabber mouth is my 7 year old son. It's an affectionate name, really. Thing is, he'll tell a total stranger all about our entire family. What we do, where we go, who is in our family, etc. Every detail. So he tries, as is his custom. The subject gets abruptly changed...back to writing, haha. Not by me, mind you. I'm listening. After all, if I so much as tried to interrupt my lovely blabber mouth, he would go right back to his story. I've tried, haha.

So, back to writing we go.

And then...voila! Mr. Blabber Mouth takes off again. He desperately wants to change the subject. After all, daddy's writing is boring. Haha! Not really. It's just that he doesn't understand it yet. So, attention needs to be focused back on him. Not daddy. That's cool with daddy, though. He start unleashing some more details.

And, voila! Yes, the subject is changed back to...writing.

Then, drum roll please, my son changes it back to what SHOULD be the gold topic of the day. HIM. Gotta love him. Actually, if it was HIM that was the topic, I would be delighted with it. But when it's family details to a stranger. Eh, not so much.

So, two opposing forces battle between talking about....well, themselves. A 7 year old continues his power play and an adult continues her power play, seeing who has the biggest will or most staying power, or....something like that. Who will win? Hehe, my son won't give in that easy. Then again, neither should most writers. But, alas, most writers do give in that easy.

So, we end this verbal tug of war and agree that we'll see each other outside again soon, since the weather is nice.

Yes, a glimpse into a writer's life.

It's all glamorous and glitzy and, well...braggarty. Or something like that. Especially when it's not you bragging.

What's your glamorous life like? Gotta more glitzy than mine :)