Have you ever considered what your writing says about you as a person?

Something? Nothing? Not sure? —-Come on be honest.

You don’t have to look very far to see what peeks a writer’s interests because it is right there on the page for everyone to witness, sometimes boldly so, others times more subtly, a sprinkling of small clues hidden here and there.(No one will ever know.) If you think you’re being clever about it, you might want to think again.

If I were to use my own novel as an example, it would tell the reader that I have an interest in history, especially local history, since I set it in 1940’s Nova Scotia. Not only that, they could probably guess that I am interested in healing plants which play an important roll in the book. If they were really paying attention they might even pick up on the idea that I’m interested in things of a spiritual nature, which mama brought though loud and clear in the book. Got to love mamas for their eternal wisdom, right?

The wonderful thing about life is that we learn and grow. We hear about something new and suddenly we’re interested in finding out more about it. When something I’ve heard or seen grabs my attention I like to jot these things down so that I can look back and remember when the time is right. Relying on my own brainpower just doesn’t work.

Nothing feels better to me than starting a new notebook and filling it with ideas. Many times it is just a word or two scribbled across the page. And I do love placing asterisks in front of those really important thoughts that will definitely need attention at some point in time.

If a writer can’t think of anything to write about they need only to pay attention to what’s happening in the world around them. Life is anything but mundane. Ideas are everywhere. Think about the things you like, and the things that have made you stand back in wonder. Do you like handmade quilts? Spaceships? Trees? Animals? Cars? Mountain? (Okay I could go on forever here, but I’m sure you get the point.)

Finding something to write about is a matter of keeping our minds and thoughts open to the endless possibilities that surround us. That next story is out there waiting to be written. If it is your story then you are the only one who can write it. That’s an important thing to keep in mind. No one can write that story but you. No one can bring that uniqueness to the page the way you can.

If someone you didn’t know picked up your book or manuscript, and read it, would it tell them anything about you? Would they discover the things that interest you, the things that surround you, the emotions you feel, the thoughts you think?

Can a writer hide behind their books? I don’t think so. I’m willing to bet that you have put something of your own into your writing. Our fiction does not spring to life from out of nowhere. It comes through us, and our true self trickles onto the page whether we want it to or not. The fiction we write might be a complete figment of or imagination, but we are still there on the page regardless.

What clues have you left behind in your writing, either intentionally or unintentionally, that would tell you reader a little about the person you are?