Why I Write
By Meradeth Houston
Thanks so much for hosting me Michelle! And before I forget, I have
a contest running for my blog tour—all commenter’s are entered into a drawing for two copies of my book, and one person will win a $25 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble. There are more details on my home blog, if you want to check it out!
I’m sitting here attempting to come up with something profound to say 🙂 I’m not sure that’s going to happen, but I will give this a shot! Mostly, I think the reason I write can be summed up best by saying that I honestly can’t imagine not writing. I’ve always been a big reader, and writing was kind of a natural extension from my love of books and the worlds I escaped into through them. Writing, I’ve found, provides an even better escape—one that totally gets me lost in a world where I get to make up all the rules. (I think my husband might say that it’s my control-freak nature that makes me like that so well!)
Beyond being a great escape, writing is also really cathartic. It allows me to relax and be creative. I spend most of my day working in a lab and teaching so I find myself needing something creative to balance things out. My scientific side benefits from taking a break and doing something different, and I’m always coming up with story ideas (and interesting character traits) from my day job. Both keep me busy, and entertained!
I write Young Adult books because I think I’m permanently stuck in my teens mentally. Okay, not totally, but most of the things I like, dislike, and appreciate most, are extensions of what I liked as a teen. That, and I work with a lot of young college students, and, well, they may be living on their own, but they most certainly are still teenagers. (Don’t tell them I think that, or that I spy on them for writing ideas!)
Yep, not profound, but I hope you found it interesting! Thanks Michelle for getting me thinking about this!
Julia has a secret: she killed the guy she loved. It was an accident—sort of.
Julia is a Sary, the soul of a child who died before taking her first breath. Without this ‘breath of life’ she and others like her must help those on the verge of suicide. It’s a job Julia used to enjoy, until the accident that claimed her boyfriend’s life—an accident she knows was her fault. If living with the guilt weren’t enough, she’s now assigned to help a girl dealing with the loss of her mother, something Julia’s not exactly the best role model for. If she can’t figure out a way to help her, Julia’s going to lose her position in the Sary, something she swore to her boyfriend would never happen.
Meradeth’s never been a big fan of talking about herself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about her:
>She’s a Northern California girl. This generally means she talks too fast and use “like” a lot.
>When she’s not writing, she’s sequencing dead people’s DNA. For fun!
>She’s been writing since she was 11 years old. It’s her hobby, her passion, and she’s so happy to get to share her work!
>If she could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because she’s terrified of heights.
You can find Meradeth on the web here:
www.MeradethHouston.com
meradethhouston.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/#!/MeradethHouston
www.goodreads.com/book/show/13030422-colors-like-memories
http://www.facebook.com/ColorsLikeMemories
http://pinterest.com/merbear95695/
http://youtu.be/HFRNJ-Yn7So (teaser trailer)
http://youtu.be/7lUpK68bYFI (book trailer)
And be sure to pick up your copy of Colors Like Memories here:
Amazon
Muse It Up Publishing
Thank you, Meradeth, for sharing your time with us. It’s been a pleasure having you visit!
Faith Hope Cherrytea
def therapeutic for me as well..
just the question alone is a great prompt for any writer to spend time with – write down why it is you/we write.. just may be cathartic!
faithhopecherrytea at*gmail.*com
and thanks for hosting Meradeth here !
Gwen Gardner
I think every writer must have started out as an avid reader, and like you said, it's a natural progression from reading to writing. I'm a very late bloomer, though, pushing 50 when I started. I didn't start writing until 2 years ago, but now can't imagine not doing it.
Michellepickett
I started writing in my journal in college, but I didn't start thinking about writing books until about three/four years ago. Two years ago I got serious when the idea for Concilium materialized. Since then writing has become such an important part of who I am that I can't imagine it not being a part of my everyday life.
meradeth
Thanks so much for hosting me! I'm spreading the word about the post 🙂
Michellepickett
I'm so glad you're here today! And congratulations on your new job -professor at the University of Montana, Missoula! How exciting. 🙂
Nick Wilford
What Meradeth says makes perfect sense to me. I also write because I can't imagine not doing so. Simply put and true! The book sounds good too.
Michellepickett
I agree. I can't imagine a life without some for of creative outlet. Writing just happens to be mine. If it was taken away it would be a very dull, depressing life.
Michelle 🙂