One of the things that I love most about the fantasy genre is how you can escape into the story as if you were there along with the characters. I’ve always been a reader. Some of my earliest memories are hiding under the covers with a flashlight, so I could stay up all night to read. I remember one Christmas Eve, I couldn’t sleep at all, so I stayed up all night and read a book. To this day, I will stay up till one or two in the morning if I can’t put the book down. 
As a writer, we want readers not to be able to put our books down. Everyone is busy, and it’s a commitment to spend time reading. I believe it is the highest compliment any reader can give an author when they tell them they didn’t want to put their book down.
When I was writing the first and second book in my series, The Kalila Chronicles, I wanted readers to be able to escape to this story world that I created. World building is my favorite part of writing. But not only do I want my readers to escape and enjoy the story, I wanted to have characters that are real and show the messy parts in life. Everyone has something that they struggle with at some point in their lives. I hope readers will not only be able to escape and enjoy my stories but also to identify with my characters and know that they aren’t alone.
Writers, why do you write? What do you want your readers to find in your stories?
Erin R. Howard is a Developmental Editor, Fantasy Author of The Kalila Chronicles, and has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing/English from Southern New Hampshire University. When she’s not writing, Erin enjoys spending time with her family, fueling her craft addictions, and teaching writing workshops. Erin is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the KenTen Writers Group. She resides in Western Kentucky with her husband and three children.
You can find Erin on her website: www.erinrhoward.com
Email:
Address: 15 Lucky Lane
Phone : 501-289-9319
Yes to this! I love hearing they couldn’t put it down and I love when they tell me it made them cry. Not that I wanted to steal their sleep or break their heart, but because it means I wrote something they could connect with. It’s powerful.
I agree, Amy. It’s powerful to know that something we write can connect to a reader’s life.
Even if people are reacting strongly in the “I’m mad at you for this” way, I can take it as a good sign. People are reading and connecting with the characters in what I write. It’s my prayer that they’re also connecting with the message of the story too.
I’ve read many books where the book made me mad (sad ending or something), but as a reader, I can see where that was used to make a statement for the meaning of the book. It wouldn’t have the same impact if it didn’t have it.