Looking Forward - Acts of Faith and Their Rewards

Writing is an act of faith. ~ E.B. White

When you start telling a story, even if you have a scene-by-scene outline, you still don’t know that you’re going to finish the story, or do justice to your vision for it. If you’re writing for publication, there is always that nagging doubt that the story – even if you have a contract – might not make it to readers.

But it doesn’t matter.

A writer can’t not write. Life is full and hectic enough before you start filling your head with fictional people and conflict, with desires and heartaches and loves. Once a writer begins to regularly empty his or her head of these things, it fills up even faster. Writing is a release, a wish and a promise all at once. It’s an act of faith.

So are most things in life.

Relationships. That first word out of your mouth after you’ve checked your shirt and your breath and crossed the room to talk to someone who’s caught your fancy.

Travel. You pack the car and turn the ignition and drive down the road, firmly expecting the road to continue and your destination to exist when you arrive. Gasoline will continue to fuel your car and gravity will keep you rolling around the Earth until your arrival.

Work. You endure. You study. You learn. You adapt. You learn diplomacy. Because you will keep being paid and, every now and again, when you raise your hand above your head, another rung will have appeared on the ladder.

All acts of faith.

I’m writing the third book in the Night Runner series. It’s the first book I’ve written – other than a few sweet endeavors which are and always will be mothballed – without a rolling outline. The characters, now a novella and novel deep, are substantial. They know what they want, and they want it bad. The obstacles are higher that before. The villains are closer than ever. But Sydney Kildare keeps rolling forward and Malcolm Kelly keeps pivoting. They’re a half-step ahead of the forces that threaten to break them. Not a comfortable position, but better than the alternative.

And I keep writing because their story, their romance, their faith in each other, is on the verge of blooming and demands to be told.

*takes a deep breath*

This post got a bit more serious than I wanted. What else am I looking forward to that I expect will be there when I reach for it?

Summer. That’s a big one. The average temperature this time of year in Alaska is 60F. It’s currently 30 and freaking SNOWING. Someday the sun will return to Alaska…someday.

J

Clearly I need some distractions. Do you need some, too? Here are some things I (along with several other members of Here Be Magic, I’ve noticed) am looking forward to:

Almost Human - coming to Fox this fall

EPIC - coming to theaters May 24th!

There are also tons of amazing fantasy book releases schedules for 2013 and early 2014. I'm salivating particularly hard over Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews, and the CARNIEPUNK anthology *wink*. What are you looking forward to?

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 About the Author

Regan Summers lives in Anchorage, Alaska with her husband and alien-monkey hybrid of a child. She loves reading, traveling, small plate dining and terrible action movies.

Her Night Runner series from Carina Press is available wherever e-books are sold.

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