Sin & Sensuality

It's quite easy to get discouraged in this business. It really is. The publishing world is dog eat dog at the best of times. That ever-present need for recognition and success is what drive us - and what breaks us down.

The catch-22 of it all is that to be a good writer, you have to have passion and, dare I say, a bit of insanity. All of the great writers of history have been a little weird, if not downright off their rockers. We are able to tell stories because we see and feel them in everything, because we view the world differently than anybody else. It's the curse, and the blessing, of all creative persons. We're sensitive to the world.

And that means we're sensitive people. We take to heart criticism that others wouldn't. We let things eat away at us that would be best brushed aside. But without that intense connection to the vast array of human emotion, how could we write them down? How could we tell stories where our characters experience pain and loss, love and happiness, without understanding them in our own hearts?

Stella Price blogged today, quite eloquently, about one of the more unsavory aspects of the author community - fakeness. She said it better than I could have, and hit the nail on the head. So I thought that I would try to highlight one of the good things about being an author - some of the amazing friends I have made. There are good people out there, and I'm going to name some of the ones who have had a positive influence on my career and my life. An homage to the crazy people who are brave enough to withstand this crazy person.

There's no way I could list everyone and not forget someone, so I'll just leave it at: you know who you are. I may not express my gratitude every day, but I am thankful for each of you on a daily basis. I look forward to our continuing collective success, as I have no doubt that we will all continue to push forward and follow our dreams.

-KJ