Renewal

Well, it seems as if my return to blogging post my summer hiatus with kids has been just as sporadic as it was during those family focused months.  For a variety of reasons, life has been chaotic as always to which I'm sure most of you can relate.  I have used what little time I've had to actually write and, therefore, things like blogging have gone by the wayside.  I didn't realize quite how long it had been until I logged on this morning which re-affirmed my commitment to get back to posting more consistently.

In an effort to get the creative juices flowing so to speak, I pulled out Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird to re-read as it has been a very long time.  In the first chapter alone, so much spoke to me but, most importantly, was her discussion about the importance of books.  She says...

"...books are as important as almost anything else on earth.  What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you."

Wow, is that not what we hope, as writers, to create for our readers?  I've always had a love of books, particularly hard cover books though I've caved on that a bit as of late.  Not only can it be an expensive habit but also one of space constraint.  My friends jest about checking out books from my library which isn't too far off; however, I am sorely out of space to add to my collection. 

As a writer, I have a burning desire to create a world, a home away from home, for my reader--an exciting place to go without the rigors of the "real world."  A place to just be and get lost in the pages of a terrific story, whether a short picture book or a longer novel.  It is what I search out and want to find when I read and what I strive to create for my reader.

How about you?  What books do you love to read?  As a writer, do you have aha moments you know will lead you to writing "that" book your reader won't want to put down? 

I'd love to hear from you if you are so inclined.