Writing Does Change Your Life
August 2009

Here’s the thing – writing does change your life. Getting published makes you happy. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, makes you proud of your own hard work, and most importantly, it gives you an audience for your writing, however small that audience may be.

There’s something magical about connecting with a reader via your own, carefully chosen words. And when those readers contact you, telling you how much they love your book, well it doesn’t get much better than that.

Isn’t language amazing? I write oak tree on a piece of paper or on this screen, and a tree springs into your mind. One person’s tree may be old, with a gnarled trunk; another’s may be a young sapling – that’s the joy of it. Mere words can evoke images in the mind, now that’s a miracle.

Language is a partnership between the reader and the writer – forget that at your peril, writers. Love your readers, acknowledge and respect your readers and your writing will become electric. Writing isn’t finished unless it’s read. (Adapted from Hal Zina Bennett’s Write From the Heart)

I get daily emails and letters from teens, telling me how much they love Amy Green and it means so much to me. I write back to each and every one.

I also have this blog, to keep me in touch with readers and friends in writing, but also because I just love to write. Anything – my diary, lists, reviews, blogs (I also have an Amy Green one), Facebook, Bebo – boy do I love to write! It makes me happy.

And here’s another thing – writing begets writing. The more you write, the more you write, the more you write. Open the tap and let it flow.

Good luck!

SarahX