When asked about the main aim of writing, I often respond—somewhat tongue-in-cheek—”to achieve immortality.”
Writing allows us to leave something behind, a lasting imprint of our ideas, thoughts, and creativity. It’s about more than just a legacy, though. It’s about crafting stories that resonate, spark joy, or even shift perspectives. At the heart of it, every writer shares a simple, earnest desire: for their work to be read. Fame and fortune? Lovely but fleeting. The satisfaction of connecting with readers? Priceless.
Interestingly, this connection often goes beyond what we intend. Take Dancing for an Angel. I initially wrote it for my daughter, a young adult book I hoped she would enjoy. But it became something much more. When I learned that child trauma psychologists were using it to help children who had lost a parent, I was stunned. It wasn’t something I could have planned, nor a responsibility I sought, but it was deeply rewarding. Sometimes, stories take on lives of their own, reaching places and people we never envisioned.
So why write? To connect, to entertain, to challenge assumptions—but mostly, to share. Because as writers, all we truly want is to be heard.
