Jennifer, I’ve benn mulling over your point about finding it hard to leave your writing (apologies for my delay). Is it a fierce discipline that holds you, or inspiration? My rule of thumb is to stop the moment “my gorge rises.” This is a sudden small feeling I have that I want to leave the cumputer. I is easy to override with a sense of duty but I don’t. Instead, I get up. This means that by the next morning, I am filled with longing to get back to the computer.

Kimberly — Sounds good.. By the way, a pencil is sometimes good and makes you take more risks cuz you can erase it!!!

Terresa,

Yes, connecting with readers is like the ice cream on the cake of writing — especially because they continually surprise you!

I love the idea of writing behind a curtain, fully engaged with the muse, and then, when done, leaving that world behind the curtain and emerging.

Best in your travels and writing, Louise W. Knight. Connecting with readers, I would imagine, would be a thrill.

Thanks for your good comment. I think nonfiction writers divide into two groups — one group thinks their writing has nothing to do with fiction and the other group embraces the role, and the skills, of the storyteller. To do that, though, you have to make peace with the reality that no matter how determined you are to capture the truth, you are still in charge of all the shaping and selecting decisions that omit some of the reality from the reader’s eye.

Darrelyn,

You got me there! I forgot to realize that the flyleaves of my own book would get covered with someone else’s notes! Fair enough! Thanks for seeking out the book…