Reading Away Life: Patti Larsen – Ten Things I Love about Writing

Ten Things I Love about Writing

by Patti Larsen

It’s so hard to narrow the list down—I love absolutely everything about what I do. But here goes:

1. I’m my own boss. I don’t answer to anyone but myself. On the other hand, being my own boss means having a very tough task mistress to answer to. I work seven days a week, often twelve or longer hours per day. But I love what I do so much, it’s like I don’t really have a job. I get to play for a living.

2. I’m fulfilling a childhood dream I really never thought I’d get to see come to life. Ever since I was twelve years old, I wanted to be a writer. Through many years of writing, leaving it, coming back to the written word in various incarnations such as screenwriting and journalism, I never quite gave up. Finding my niche, understanding at last the Young Adult genre was home, finally allowed me to open up to the voices in my head and let them out as they were meant to emerge. And gave me the courage I needed to commit to writing for a living.

3. The people I’ve met are amazing, talented, funny, happy to be doing what I’m doing. I’ve always felt so solitary as a writer, just me and the voices. But the network of writers I’ve connected with have made what I do all that much more satisfying.

4. My readers are the most incredible people! And I would never have met them if not through my books. Their passion for my characters, their support and good humor, their emails and messages of encouragement and joy tell me I’m doing it right.

5. I feel like I have a massive extended family—not just the readers who love my work and the writers I’ve connected with, but the characters I write about. They are so real to me, so vivid and their voices so clear, it seems sometimes as though I’m channeling real people who need me to share their words because they can’t do it themselves.

6. I love editing. I know, most writers hate it. But I have two incredible people I work with—my content editor, Annetta Ribken and my copy editor, Jennifer Wingard—both of whom make my job so fun, and turn my work into polished gems of amazingness I couldn’t imagine not having fun in the process. I look at it with expectation, eager to learn with ever manuscript.

7. I’ve worked out an amazing process I love to teach to others, an outlining system drawing on my journalism, university English and screenwriting for inspiration. It thrills me to no end to share that process with others and I see it as one of the best parts of my job.

8. I’m a major hermit and have always loved solitude, so this career is perfect for me. I get enough interaction online to fill me up most days, but also have wonderful friends locally who drag me out of the house often enough I don’t grow mold.

9. Learning, educating, being open to new things drives me all the time to be a better writer, to be more open to the characters in my head. I crave knowledge and don’t think I will ever stop looking for new things to spark my imagination.

10. Finishing the first draft of a book is the most thrilling moment ever. I love typing the last line, sitting back, the job well done. Knowing I’ve done my best, created what the character asked. It’s a fabulous feeling, one I hope I never take for granted.

About Patti Larsen: You’re not looking for my polished bio, huh? You sure you want more? The real dirty, down deep, nitty gritty? Fair enough. Here goes: I’m a card-carrying nerd. It’s taken years to admit it. I’m also a hermit in a writing basement who prefers solitude to people (cats always welcome). I’m a writing fiend who hears the voices of teenagers and blushes at the S-E-X parts. I don’t sleep very well. Ever. My mind is too busy. I am a feline loving married woman who could easily end up a crazy cat lady if my husband would let me. I am a paradigm shifter, a believer in self and my own personal power. I see everything in black and white until the gray is explained to me. I am a fiercely loyal friend, a confidant and a Tarot card reader and intuitive. I am a proud roller derby girl, a total dweeb and can’t dance to save my soul. I am terrified of heights and challenge that fear every chance I get. Oh, and I’m the Creator. The Queen of my own Destiny. I love that.

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