What I Hope My Stories Do

This is the start of my fiction career. Technically not the exact start, because I've been writing stories since the tender age of about 10, when The Secret Garden opened my eyes to the possibility that words can become movies inside someone's mind.

The problem for me was that fear kept me from finishing a story into a novel and releasing it into the wild for feedback. I wasn't even scared of readers' opinions. I was afraid of publishers and agents and rules and restrictions.

Anyone who knows me knows that I like to do things my way. And that's okay in my non fiction business and every other area of my life. I just didn't know it would be okay in the fiction world. Self publishing released me from those fears, so now I'm moving forward and I want to tell you the top 3 things I hope my stories do out in the wild:

1. I hope they infect people.


I want my fiction novels to get under your skin. That might mean you turn into a raving lunatic and bite my head off for creating something you think is so disgusting or ridiculous - or it might mean you email me like a well-intentioned stalker telling me you'll be watching me until I release the next installment.

I'll take either - because it will mean I got you to react to my work, and the worst thing in the world will be to get an indifferent response. A yawn. Something you toss back onto the bookshelf before you ever finish it.

2. I hope they make you "what if."


I'm the world's most professional what iffer. It has turned me into a helicopter parent, a grown woman who makes her MOM call HER when she gets home for the night, and a business woman who gets worried when her colleagues seem a bit off or haven''t Tweeted in a few days.

Whatever opinion of you have of that type of person one thing is for sure - if I love, like or admire you, I will be protective of you and turn honey badger (Google the viral video) in your defense. I believe in what iffing - I believe it can make you appreciate what you have, I think it lets others know you care (even as annoying as it may be), and I think it prevents stupid mistakes from ruining lives.

That's what all of my fiction is or will be about - what if scenarios that are never impossible at 100%. Even if there's just an inkling that it could happen, there's a story in it.


3. I hope they make you want to tell someone about them.


There are books I read that are decent and I don't regret buying them or spending time reading them. Then there are books I can't keep my mouth shut about. That's what I want my books to be to you.

There's a bit of ego in there, sure - I'd be lying if I said there wasn't. We all hope to have people like our work. But it's also just rewarding to know that you just had someone say that for an hour or a day or whatever, they got engrossed in your book because they just couldn't put it down. It makes you feel like you bettered the world in some small way - and I don't mean by saving the planet. I mean you made someone happy, period. They enjoyed some of their time today because of you.

Stay tuned for more and I look forward to getting to know my own "cool people" as John Locke (not the guy from lost) says about his fan base.

Tiff ;)