Friday's Five things that... I love about writing

I had trouble narrowing it down to five, but here's the ones that made the list.

1. The blank screen. Anything could happen. And in my stories it just might, lol. But I love that feeling when you are first starting a story and there are no impossibilities. You can create a whole new world just by pressing a few keys.

2. Being someone else for a while. I like who I am. I like my life. But I can't deny that I like living other peoples lives to. I like to get inside the head of someone I'll never be and see the world through their eyes. And when I've been them for long enough, there is always another character, another life to explore.

It's linked closely to the last one, so it didn't make it's own point. Each new character can change your mind about everything. From things as simple as one character likeing to be called sir, to another one thinking that sort of honerific is a silly affectation. I get to have all the different opinions depending on who I'm writing. I never have to actually make my mind up about the things I haven't decided on for certain.

3. That moment. The one where it all clicks into place. It doesn't mean the story is going to work out. It's often followed by a lot of moments when you think you're writing complete rubbish. But that one moment - when everything is clear, the words are flowing and your typing so fast, you can't think fast enough to keep up - you only know the words when you see them appear on the screen in front of you. Those moment are pure gold.

4. Re-writing the bad bits. Do certain things about the world really annoy you? Do you wish people had the sense to set prejudices aside and just accept individuals for who they are? When you write you can do that - create a world where no one gives a damn about colour or gender or sexual preferences.

On the other end of the scale, you can also write happy endings for the characters who really need them. If a character has been hurt in the past, you can write a way for them to heal. I know that the real world isn't like that, but my world, the one I like my characters to live it, it always gives the good guys a happy ending.

5. Finishing a story. And more often than not, finding out how it ends - I often don't know until I type the last word. Once I finish a story it's out of my head and I can leave it to rest for a while before I go back to edit it. And that makes more room in my head for new stories.

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Okay, writers out there, what are your favourite things about writing?

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Other news:

Finished the first draft of The Stroke of Twelve on Wednesday.
Started the first draft of Between Tooth and Paw the same day.
And yesterday I started editing Secret Service.

Busy, busy, busy.

Off to do my writing for the day now.

Have a good weekend people.