Writing as a Journey of Discovery

Every time I sit down to write, I’m reminded that stories don’t always come to us fully formed. They unravel like a path through the woods—sometimes clear, sometimes foggy, and sometimes leading somewhere I never expected. That’s part of the magic. Sometimes an idea pops in my head I can't get the words on the paper fast enough. Then there are times I really have to claw my words out, but eventually the light goes on in my head and the magic happens.

As writers, we often think we’re the ones creating the world, shaping the characters, and deciding their fates. But the characters surprise us. They resist. They reveal truths we didn’t know we were carrying. Writing becomes less about control and more about listening—listening to the voices of our creations and the deeper parts of ourselves. Sometimes I have literally changed the ending of one of my books. I got to know my characters so well that when I was getting to the end, I thought, "They would never do that!" and I changed the ending. 

There are days when the words flow like water, and others when every sentence feels like pulling teeth. But even on the hard days, there’s value. Struggle teaches us patience; blank pages remind us that silence, too, can hold possibility. Each challenge, each hesitation, each rewrite is part of the greater rhythm of becoming a writer. I think of my blank pages like a painter thinks of his canvas. As each chapter ends, I imagine adding blotches of paint to my canvas. My beautiful painting will be finished when I finish the book.

Looking back at my own projects, I see how much they’ve shaped me as much as I shaped them. Stories like Awake or Spirals aren’t just fiction—they’re fragments of memory, imagination, and questions about who we are and what it means to dream. They’re a mirror reflecting not only my character but also myself. When I wrote Awake, that was one book I couldn't get the words on the paper fast enough. My brain was really on a roll. I sometimes think about the decisions I made in my life. Haven't you ever wondered what your life would be like if you had married your high school sweetheart instead of going to college? I put those energies out into the universe. Have you ever wondered where your dreams and unkept plans go? My Awake series is where dreams go to live.

So if you’re writing today, remember this: your journey is valid, whether you wrote a thousand words or struggled with a single paragraph. Every step is part of the process. Writing isn’t about perfection—it’s about persistence, discovery, and the courage to keep going. Inside every person is a story that is waiting to be told, and only you can tell it.

And maybe, just maybe, the words we write aren’t simply stories. Maybe they’re seeds, waiting to bloom in someone else’s imagination. 🌱✨