I'm relatively new to the game of writing fiction, having published my first book close to a year ago, but I've always enjoyed writing, mostly in a journal. Writing is a form of therapy for me. Since I started writing works of fiction, I have learned a great deal about myself, believe it or not, and the human condition. Writing fiction can involve a great deal of research. For some of my books (I've published five novels and two novellas), I did a considerable amount of research before and during the writing process. Even though research can require a lot of effort (mostly reading and taking notes), I found that I actually enjoyed it very much. There is no aspect of writing that I don't like.
I cannot tell you specifically what it was that triggered my muse but I can tell you what I think triggered it. In early June 2022, I was out in my yard staring up at the stars (something I do quite often and have for years now) when I noticed a faint light moving across the sky over the tops of trees directly in front of my house. As the light cleared the trees, it suddenly became brighter and seemed to flash at me, creating a star-like halo. What it was, I do not know. I didn't have a mystical experience or anything like that. I didn't feel anything at the time, other than curiosity. Then, a few days later, the idea to start writing fiction just popped into my mind. It wasn't a gradual revelation. It flashed in my mind as quickly as that light flashed in my eyes. From that point on, I made a decision to become a writer. Every morning since then, I have written every day without fail. I get up early, go to my desk, and my fingers hit the keyboard.
Perhaps, with my unconscious mind, I created the light (whether a purely subjective experience or not, there's no way for me to know but it seemed very real). I didn't feel as though some other intelligence chose me, for whatever reason, to become a writer. I don't feel special. Months prior to that experience, I had seriously contemplated suicide. I have bipolar disorder and struggle, sometimes terribly, with depression. Since I've started writing, I have found some relief, an escape, from the depression. I can't imagine a day going by without writing something.
It may sound overdramatic, and perhaps it is, but I mean it when I say... Writing saved my life. Whether or not I ever get an agent and a book deal, I don't know. But I do know that until the day I die, I will continue to write. It is my hope that my works of fiction will one day reach a wider audience. I think writing is a way to connect with other people. It's also a way to help expand someone else's mind, to see the world through a different lens, and possibly lead them to think about something differently than they had before.
If you have an inspirational story you'd like to share about reading or writing, please email me at trevorcarterva@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you.
Peace!
Trevor
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