The Puzzle Pieces of Why You Write by Hilary Wagner

Everyone is different, but for me there was a singular magic moment that inspired me to start writing. All books have a "feel" to them. The ones we like the most tend to speak to us in some way. One of the books that spoke to me was Wicked by Gregory Maguire. He built a beautiful, fantastic world I wanted to live in, with intriguing characters who all shared a brilliant piece in his winding tale.

The book didn't just speak to me when I first read it...it downright screamed. It was that special moment in time wherein you can literally see a talking light bulb over your head demanding that you write.

This leads me to my favorite book as a child, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O'brien. It too took me into a world I never wanted to leave that stuck with me until adulthood. I even remember the very place where I read the book. Years later, after reading Wicked when I was all grown up, all the puzzle pieces clicked for me.

I began writing furiously just days later. Early in the morning, throughout the day, late into the night. The ideas and story poured onto the pages. I was obsessed to say the least. It wasn't easy, of course. I did multiple rewrites, survived what felt like endless rejection, but it happened. My inspiration paid off.

That inspiration has become a part of me, deeply ingrained in who I am. I would not be the same person without it. Writing makes me smile every day. It makes me think about the world differently and it makes me value everything and everyone around me, because we're all part of a much bigger story.

What was your succinct inspiration to write? What books gave you that "aha" moment? When did your heart and head lay out their plans for you and tell you to write?

Thanks for reading (and writing),

Hilary Wagner