Wednesday, May 5, 2010

"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.
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13 comments:

  1. Hey Rick! I just wanted to give you a big thank you for having me here today. I couldn't be happier about it :D

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  2. Happy to have you, SJ. And I encourage anyone within reading distance to check out your amazing books.

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  3. Hey SJ, thanks for telling us more about why you write and how you look at the whole process. I'm always fascinated by other authors' views on this.
    By the way, I really liked Conquest and I look forward to reading No Fear. I hope you write many more books like that.

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  4. I came for the pic! hehe But great article. Something tells me Petchie, Rhonda, Kathy, etc. helped you come to the realization that Evan and Jesse are no longer yours. lol

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  5. Hi SJ, thanks for the insight into why you write and for sharing your work with us. Love the picture.

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  6. I have read both books and they are exceptional reads and I was on the edge of my chair more than once. Even had to step away when i got upset. But you are a very talented writer and I can't wait to have more books from you.

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  7. Hi Serena! Thank you for stopping by and your praise on Conquest. I hope you enjoy No Fear, too. And I do plan to bring some more rockers to the spotlight in the near future, maybe even this summer!

    Hey, JR! Thanks for coming to check me out! Yeah, I sort of lost Jesse and Evan when everyone was fighting over them, didn't I? Even I was scared to jump in, lol!

    Hi Teresa! You're very welcome. Thank you for reading my post and your compliment on my pic!

    Hi Cinderella! I'm beyond flattered by your kind words. I can't tell you how happy it makes me hearing how much you enjoyed the books. It's exactly why I write, to bring a little enjoyment to others :-) Thank you so very much!

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  8. Shannon!!!! I love the picture - you're just a kid! - and the horse is beautiful. Unfortunately that's as close as I can get to them. But I do love 'em.

    And for those who don't know, SJ's got a story in the Surfer Boys anthology that's super-hot and sexy as well as a great Samurai story in the anthology Bedknobs and Beanstalks... definitely NOT the fairy tales you grew up with!

    Oh, and Jesse and Evan? They're soooo nice...well Jesse's still a bit of a brat sometimes, but he's the sweetest guy. And Evan? Multi-talented and sexy...oh and a really nice guy too! Oh... uh, yeah sorry, sometimes I get carried away. *grin*

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  9. Hey Kathy! Thanks for coming by and saying hi. I'm laughing so hard at you calling me a kid because I'm old enough to take that as a huge compliment! Oh, and you're right, there's no denying Jesse has rockstar attitude, and you're also right that he's a sweetie underneath it :-)

    And thank you mentioning some of my other stories! I had a blast writing "Kintaro" in the Bedknobs and Beanstalks anthology. Me thinks there will be a m/m samurai historical in my future because of that. And Surfer Boys was a really fun anthology to be a part of with having Neil Plakcy at the helm as editor. I mean, how could I not have fun writing about sleek and sexy surfers?

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  10. Shannon, I said this before and I'll say it again - more Samurai!

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  11. Alright, I'll do my best! I have an idea for a samurai story that's been on the back burner forever. Maybe I need to bring up to the front soon ;-)

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  12. SHANNON!!! OMG Your on Rick's blog!!! Sorry I am only getting to this now, RL just being a pain in the arse!(not in a good way either!)

    I agree with JR(she's a smart one sometimes) I came for the picture, but great article and aye she is right Jesse and Evan are MINE!!! Maughaaaa!!

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  13. Hiya Petchie! I know, isn't Rick awesome for having me here? I'm so glad you swung by to visit! And no need to apologize, I know too well myself how real life can be a pain.

    JR is sharp, but you know I'm staying out of that fight over Jesse and Evan. I could get hurt if I jumped into it ;-)

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