Writers Roundtable, November 28th, Cockeysville Library

Thanks so much to Meliss Bunce and the Cockeysville Library in Baltimore County for inviting me to participate in their Writers Roundtable with fellow authors Susan Muaddi-Darraj, Lalita Noronha, Rebecca Galli, and Krist Faatz. It was great to listen to other authors' experiences in becoming writers, their routines, and also their unique paths to success. One thing that struck me was how although all of us had always written, none of us had planned to become writers/novelists. And yet the will within us to share our words with others, our experiences, drove us to pursue this path, not for fame or fortune, but for connection. And if we had never been published, or been told we'd never be published again, we'd all still be writing, as the need to examine life in this fashion is stronger than any rewards or discouragement. 

So, if you want to write, just do it. Do it for yourself. You're probably already doing it, anyway. If you get published, that's great, and if not, that's completely okay, too. The journey from your heart to the page is the most important thing. The cultivation of empathy, for your characters and yourself, is one of the greatest results. In many ways, writing makes us human and affirms our humanity.