What Inspires Me to Write?

The short answer to that question is "everything". I look at the world around me and imagine what I would do or think "Wow, that was really interesting."

The long answer to that question is, obviously, a lot more complex.

I didn't grow up in a home where I got all the love I needed in the way that I wanted it, but I was surrounded by other relationships that taught me what love should look like. For that reason, while I have always struggled with overcoming fears and insecurities, I've also believed in love, romance, and happy endings. God truly does want the best for us. There is unconditional love out there and sometimes people read to be reminded that it exists. I'm basically an optimistic person. That was one of the reasons I immersed myself in Harlequin Romance novels and eventually began writing my own love stories.

Sometimes, I'm listening to music or watching television and a line stands out. I think, "Hmm. That would make a good story," and an idea starts to form. Sometimes, I am confronted with a situation that me or someone in my life is dealing with -- usually based on an insecurity or a question -- and I wonder how many other people feel the same and how would they handle it, and a plot starts to reveal itself in my mind. One day, I was listening to country music and decided I missed the times spent on my grandparents' farm; a story idea was born.

My goal is always to write stories that people can relate to but that also have positive twists. I want people to say, "I was at that place in my life" but to believe that the fairy tale ending they'd hoped for could be possible. There is always an opportunity for that first love to have a second chance or for that man to believe in you and accept your flaws. We all want to know that undying love exists just around the bend.

I write because I want people to believe in beauty and hope. What inspires me to write a particular story is when I find an idea or situation or lyric that I can turn into a chance to illustrate that goal.