No Illusions

I have been blessed with meeting some amazing new writers over the years. I met today’s guest blogger through a mutual friend and we instantly connected. Jezika is an amazing young woman who continues to press forward in her quest to become a better writer, no matter what setbacks she stumbles across, and has been an incredible encouragement to me as well. Jezika lives with her husband and adorable son in Tennessee. - Jen

Writing is a lot like Quantum Physics in the fact that nothing is certain and rules sometimes exist merely for the sake of being broken. A magician may perform a trick for an audience, and even though we are skeptical, a part of us holds our breath in anticipation as he slowly opens his palm to reveal an empty hand. The object has vanished right before our eyes.

A writer uses these very tricks to her advantage.

Illusions, when executed skillfully, can draw a reader in from the first few words. Authors take ordinary characters and transform them into pulsating beings, capable of human emotion. No verbal promises have been made to the audience, yet they know something extraordinary is about to occur. The hook has been planted, and oblivious to the world, the pages begin to turn. The real magic in writing is keeping your reader interested, even if that means revealing the unfamiliar in a way we all can relate.

When I first started writing I kept a journal, but then I realized all my feelings appeared censored upon the page. You promise yourself honesty, but the lies are so much easier to swallow. Writers are extraordinary costume flies. Each wall contains a different story, and no one questions what appears in black and white.

The emotions within me feel like they are consuming at times. The page in front of me swells into a full moon bringing on the literary transformation. A passion smolders inside of me. The words twist my bones as I shape shift from character to character. I lose myself in the euphoria of creating others. There are times when I never want to return, but all writers must come home at some point.

My inspiration comes in so many forms. A beautifully written sentence can fuel the fire for days, or the ache in the eyes of a stranger that mirrors your own pain. Write for yourself then for the world. Take criticism as a grain of sand and one day eventually, an hourglass will form. As a writer, I die a little each time I send my work into the unknown, but every time I reach the other side a little wiser.

My only advice is to keep writing. Even clouds have the capability to become magical beings if we believe hard enough. A good magician may never reveal his secrets, but a skilled writer already knows how the show ends.      

— Jezika Stevens