Readers Make Writers by Janie DeVos

 

     With Thanksgiving coming up this week, deciding which tasks will be done on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, in order to make the “big day” a success, run through my mind constantly.  To some, that’s called obsession, for me that’s called preparation and organization. That’s my tried and true method, and one that assures me I’ll enjoy Thanksgiving as much as I hope my guests will.  But aside from all of the planning and doing, the buying and the baking, it’s also a time when I think about the many things I’m grateful for.  Now I know that sounds a bit clique—okay, a lot clique, but it’s the truth.  

I won’t bore you with my list of “I’m thankful for…”, but I do what to share with you how grateful I am that you let me take up a little of your precious time by reading my blogs and books.  Believe me when I tell you that being a writer can be a very lonely job.  When writers are staring at their computers day after day, interacting with a very few (especially if we’re on a tight deadline), hearing from readers like you keep us going.  And if we’re struggling from writer’s block and a kind comment from one of our readers pops up on one of our social media platforms, that can give us that necessary tailwind needed to inflate our sails and get us writing again.  In other words; you all are the spark that keeps our creative fires burning. 

So, thank you for letting me come into your homes throughout the year, and thank you for connecting with me.  Although I may not know many of you personally, I still picture you in my mind’s eye in different settings; either reading my monthly blogs as you take a few minutes respite from the world, or curled up in a cozy nook with a favorite beverage while reading one of my southern fiction novels, and perhaps helping those precious little ones settle down for the night by choosing one of my children’s books to gently ease them off to sleep. 

Many of your own personal experiences that you’ve shared with me have helped to inspire those I create.  In other words, you’re the springboard for so many of my stories. And you are the reason I write.  Without a doubt, you make my gratitude list each Thanksgiving, and throughout every month of every year. 

Wishing each of you a Thanksgiving rich with abundant blessings—and high caloric food absolutely guilt-free.  

Love, 

Janie