"Why I Write" by Rockstar Author S.J. Frost

This week, I am excited to have S.J. Frost with us. S.J. has two m/m romances set in the rock music industry with MLR Press, Conquest and No Fear. Let's see what rocks SJ world when it comes to writing...

Why Do You Write?
By S.J. Frost

Initially, writing for me was a hobby, something I did because I enjoyed storytelling.  For years I wrote not knowing what my goal was with it, or why I couldn’t stop.  Even before I started to seek getting my work published, there was satisfaction that came with finishing a story, and for a while, I thought this sense of accomplishment was part of the reason I kept at it.  As I and my writing matured, and the publications started to come, with them followed the true answer to why I write.  It’s to reach people.  Whether it’s simply making someone smile or changing how they view a certain aspect of the world, I’ve learned the greatest gift of writing is that it gives.

When I get told from people that one of my stories has made them laugh or cry or given them hope in their own lives, I always become humbled to the point of speechlessness, and every time I remember, this is the meaning of writing.  This is why it’s valuable, why I need to keep going at it even when I’m tired, frustrated, and have the world outside my imagination pulling me in ten different directions.  It’s not for me, it’s for everyone out there who has an interest in my work.

With this understanding, I came to another realization.  Once my work is released, it stops being mine.  Yes, the stories and characters will always “belong” to me, but all of it has moved beyond me.  My characters are now melding their stories into the lives of readers.  They’ve gone from just living in my head to existing in the minds of so many others, and in this way, they’ve truly been given life.  They’re out in the world, meeting new people and forming relationships with them.  Sure, it may sound a little odd to think of it like that, but haven’t you ever read a book where the story and characters resonate so powerfully you feel like you know them?  I know I have, and to think my characters could do the same for others is almost too amazing for me to fully comprehend it.

I admit, all these realizations have been recent for me, within the past couple years.  Just as it can take years for an author to find their voice, so it can also take a long time to fully understand why you write and what your goals are.  For me, my work is to provide entertainment, and in giving that, I hope to have my characters touch readers’ lives, even if it’s just giving them a smile.  Maybe that goal sounds simple, maybe it even sounds easy, but to me it’s something of the highest value and importance.

Bio
S.J. Frost resides in Ohio on a mini-ranch with her family and a menagerie of pets.  Her short stories have been featured in several romance and erotica anthologies, and her debut novel, Conquest, is available from MLR Press, along with its sequel, No Fear.  To learn more about her writing, please feel welcome to visit her website.