Sunday, May 6, 2012

Thank You, Letter Writer

Dear Letter Writer,
It was wonderful to hear your kind words about my writing. Thank you so much. I hope you visit my blog again to see this reply, as I was unable to email you directly. I had disconnected the email on my website because I was getting spammed to death. Perhaps I should reconsider.

The way you described yourself--awkward, anti-social--sounds familiar to me. I think it also describes the girl I was, many (many) years ago. So you are not alone. I am glad A Fast and Brutal Wing provided a way for you to really feel who you are, what you are like. For me, that is what the best kind of reading does—the story enters me and I enter the story, leaving me "in a sea of thought." If that happened for you with my work, I am truly satisfied.

I felt very much like Niki myself when I was writing her. The claws felt very real to me. I felt like Emmet, too, but then I always feel like all my characters—or at least parts of them. And I miss them terribly when the story is over.

Your observation is correct--I haven’t published a book since 2007, though of course I hope to publish again. But life goes up and down for writers just like it does for everyone else. Your letter has reminded me of exactly what I love about writing fiction for young adults—creating characters that are meaningful to at least some of my readers.

Thank you for taking the time to write to me; I am grateful.

Wishing you the very best,

Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson

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