When you are walking in your calling as a writer, you will
find fulfillment beyond your original reasons for writing. There will be
greater and better outcomes, some of which you may not have envisioned or even
cared about at first. This has been the case for me.
My reasons for writing are actually quite self centered. (I can say that because I know it's true.) I write because I can’t NOT write. I would still be clacking
away even if nothing I wrote ever got published or if I never sold another
book. I am a writer – it’s not what I do so much as WHO I AM.
However, I consider myself truly fortunate because I
currently have quite a few books and plays in print, and some of these have achieved a measure of 'success'. I’ve won a couple of
awards, two of my books have been on Amazon’s best sellers’ lists, and my stage plays have been performed all over North America. I’m
not telling you this to brag. I’m just saying that when you’re true to your own
calling, there will be other benefits.
Some of the benefits are less tangible than book sales or
performances, and for me they are even more significant. I’ve had the privilege
of hearing from readers who’ve been impacted by something I’ve
written. (And I’m not talking about amazon reviews,
although those are nice, too.) These have come mostly through personal emails but I've even received a few letters. (Yes, the kind that come via the post office!)
That means a lot to me. I try to offer something deeper
beyond the story in my fiction; something redemptive.
And it is utterly gratifying to hear from even one person
who was impacted. It has added immeasurable fulfillment and given me a sense of
purpose beyond my own need for a creative outlet.
Tracy has more than twenty books, plays, short stories and anthology contributions in print. She lives in Tumbler Ridge, BC with her husband of 33 years and teaches Secondary School Art, Drama and English. tracykrauss.com
