The Drive to Write

Written for "500 Words for the 12th Birthday" 

Creating Worlds
By Lisa McCourt Hollar

“Why do you write,” some have asked, not understanding the drive. The late nights, no sleep, my muse screaming at me to do as I’m told; create worlds. Writing is magic and my craft grew the more I worked at it. Writing.com has been a huge part of that growth.

Learning to handle negative reviews is a large part of the learning process. It hurts when we are told that what we’ve created isn’t up to par. Sometimes the response is to tell the reviewer that they are wrong. I know that was my first thoughts, but writing.com has guidelines for how to respond to a negative review. They also have guidelines on how to effectively write a review.

Joining writing.com gave me the courage to share my work with publishers and other writers. I’m published now, mostly indie, but I am also in several anthologies and am working with a great new indie publishing company. I don’t think that would have happened if not for writing.com.

Work has taken up a lot of my time. I have several things I am working on, trying to get ready for publication and have even just this week started a new project and am working with a great cover artist, whose work is inspiring the story. Writing.com will always hold a place in my heart though, and just like when you travel from home, get busy with friends and activities, I find myself drawn back to the doors of this wonderful writing community. There are so many here that I consider friends. I would name them, but then I would leave someone off, so I won’t do that. They know who they are, because they are the ones that have poked and prodded me.

“Less passive jezri… Show, don’t tell.”

Argh, I hate that phrase, yet just the other day I said the same thing to another writer, who shared her work with me.

When I found writing.com, I felt lost. I wanted someone to share my work with,someone that would understand why I had to write. I found it here. Thank you to all of you that share the drive. Some my call it a curse, but I wouldn’t ever want to lose it. I can sleep when I am dead.

Happy Birthday Writing.com!

Word Count: 384