What Writing Is To Me

By Ryder Islington

I think every writer tries to describe what writing is to them at one time or another in their writing careers. There are simple answers, and more complicated ones too.

Writing is a pastime. It’s a way to communicate. It’s something fun to do when I’m bored. It’s an exercise for my brain. It’s a way to make money. It’s a way to make friends. All of those things are true.

But really, for me, writing is like breathing. It’s like stumbling upon a great love and once found, never being able to let go. It eases my sorrow. It comforts me. It allows me to gather all I’ve learned and pass it on. It reminds me of the peace I’ve been given but have often forgotten. I suspect all writers will give similar answers. We need to write. It is a passion that calls to us and demands our attention.

I’ve been writing with an eye toward publication for about eleven years. It took me four years and a million words to learn the basics of good writing. It took me another six years to craft a novel I could promote with the knowledge that I was a good writer. My debut novel, Ultimate Justice, A Trey Fontaine Mystery, fulfilled all I needed from writing. It communicates the presence of evil in the world, the fact that even the good guys aren’t perfect, and the hope that good can come out of the most painful of experiences.

If I never got the opportunity to write another word, I could live with that because I wrote a good book, it was published and I received great feedback. I can’t imagine never writing another word. In fact, my mind is filled not only with book two of the Trey Fontaine Mysteries, but several other stories, each of which shuffles in line to be next. But I have inhaled the sweet smell of success and it has filled me with contentment as much as a passion for more.

Writing is hope for my future and proof of my past.

*****

Ultimate Justice, A Trey Fontaine Mystery is receiving rave reviews from readers. http://www.ll-publications.com/ultimatejustice.html

The small town of Raven Bayou, Louisiana explodes as old money meets racial tension, and tortured children turn the table on abusive men. FBI Special Agent Trey Fontaine returns home to find the town turned upside down with mutilated bodies. Working with local homicide detectives, Trey is determined to get to the  truth. A believer in empirical evidence, Trey ignores his instincts until he stares into the face of the impossible, and has to choose between what he wants to believe and the ugly truth.

A graduate of the University of California and former officer for a large sheriff’s department, RYDER ISLINGTON is now retired and doing what she loves: reading, writing, and gardening. She lives in Louisiana with her family, including a very large English Chocolate Lab, a very small Chinese pug, and a houseful of demanding cats. She can be contacted at RyderIslington@yahoo.com or visit her blog at http://ryderislington.wordpress.com