#JustWriteBits #TheWriter

The worst nightmare of a writer is a blank page.

Yes. We, writers have nightmares. More often than not, we turn them into stories, but as a wise writer once said, "it always sounds better in your head."

Well, my head is crammed. Over-crowded with ideas, plots, twists, characters, dialogues, etc...

See the ellipsis above? My head is full of that too, along with all kinds of punctuation marks, grammatical rules, and synonymous words. It's a freaking tempest inside my cranium (Pardon my thesaurus addiction) and I need to get it all out. The problem is, it's easier said than done . . .

As you can see, I overuse ellipses...

Possibly, adverbs and exclamation marks too! However, I cannot satisfy my love of punctuation if I do not actually write, can I?

I am Severna Rogers. Fifty-one year old writer, best-selling author of over twenty romance/adventure novels, and I'm absolutely unable to sit down and write whenever I feel like it. My editor thinks I'm joking, but I'm dead serious. It's like I'm braindead all year, save for the last couple of months when the weather is right for me.

It drives me up the wall to have so many thoughts storming in my brain all day and not be able to get them out at will.

Strange? Not to me.

How did I become so popular then? Let me tell you my secret recipe: Storms...

Hurricanes, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, thunderstorms, you name it.It doesn't matter as long as there's booming thunder, thrashing trees, and growling winds outside of my window.

Storms are my only muse. I ride out the storm and it's not just a figure of speech.

I am a storm rider ...

***

"Please welcome our exceptional guest today, Ms. Severna Rogers. Best selling author of the most famous romance/adventure novels. Good morning and thank you for coming, Ms. Rogers."

The morning TV show host pasted a pearly-white smile on her make-up enhanced features. There were bright lights, live audience and rolling cameras all over the place. Someone behind the cameras lifted a sign that said 'applause' and the audience burst into a round of ovation.

"Morning. Thanks for having me in you lovely show." I gave her a diplomatic smile clasping my fingers across my knees. TV shows were the least favorite aspect of my work. It was my manager who insisted.

"Your recent novel is a romantic thriller and your main characters are named Irma and Harvey," the host said, raising artificially perfect eyebrows. "You name your characters after hurricanes? How unusual is that?"

I chuckled lightly, trying to relax. "Yeah. It's pretty unusual."

"Absolutely. Would you mind telling us the story behind it? I'm sure your audience wants to hear it from you."

I'm sure my audience is sick of hearing this story!

"Well, most people consider hurricanes sinister and destructive, but they've been my main source of inspiration since I could remember. That's my way of paying homage to my beautiful and grumpy muse; nature."

"And you literally chase storms?" The host blinked, as if utterly in shock.

"Yes. I do."

"How does this help you with the process of writing? Is it one of those odd writers' quirks we hear about?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Frankly, I'm not sure. All I know is, I must be in the middle of extreme weather to write with ease, so I follow the path of storms across the country. The sound of a rumbling storm makes me more focused and I can write non-stop for as long as it lasts. It feels like it connects my brain to an unlimited power source."

"Fascinating!" the host enthused. "We've heard another story about you, and your fans wonder if it's true. Have you really been struck by lightning as a child?"

"How did you know about that?" I gaped for a second.

She laughed and squared her shoulders elegantly. "We have our trusty sources."

This is embarrassing! I should've reviewed the questions with my assistant before the show...

"Uh! Actually, I wasn't struck by lightning." I shoved a strand of my hair behind my ear. "It was my mother, while she was pregnant with me. I was born prematurely because of it."

"Oooooh!" the audience echoed.

The host touched her lips with her bright pink fingernails. Her eyelashes fluttered and she seemed genuinely affected. "Oh my! It's such a touching story. Do you think this incident caused the special connection you have with severe weather conditions?"

"It could be..." I crossed my ankles and shrugged. "My life has always been revolving around storms one way or the other."

"How about your unique name? Is this why you were named Severna? As in 'severe' weather?" The host's lips curved in amusement.

"Not really. It's just a coincidence." I uttered a short laugh. "I was named after Severna Park, Maryland. My father's hometown."

"When did you decide that you'd become a writer? Was this also in the middle of a storm?" the host asked.

"Indeed, that's what happened." I sighed and turned my palms up.

Her eyes widened. "Would you care to share with us how it happened?"

"Sure thing," I said. "We used to live in Florida. I was almost ten and a storm was brewing outside. When the power went off, I wanted to entertain myself. Back then, we didn't have cell phones or tablets or laptops. I lit a bunch of candles, grabbed a pen and paper, and started scribbling whatever came to me . That's when I wrote my first story. It was about a fairy who lost her home in a storm."

"Aww! Sounds adorable!" the host gushed. "Do you plan on publishing that story as a children's book someday?"

"I certainly do. When it's the right time." I nodded.

"Should we expect a new novel at the end of this year, then? You must be eager for the next storm." The host wrinkled her nose in a humorous expression.

"Sure thing. I'm looking forward to satisfying my dear readers. For them, I'm ready to weather the storm." I waved to the audience and smiled.

The audience cheered and applauded.

"I think this show 'went down a storm' with your loyal fans." The host grinned to the camera, making quote marks in the air. "It's been a pleasure having you today, Ms. Rogers. We all wish you more and more success and many bestseller novels to come."

"Thank you. The pleasure's all mine."

While leaving the studio, a satisfied grin began to spread across my lips. I was meeting my readers face-to-face, shaking hands, signing autographs and copies of my novels.

As much as I hated these TV interviews, meeting my readers was worth it. They were the reason I tolerated the boisterous, complicated journey of my writing.

They were the port in the storm.

****

Dedicated to my lovely friend _Imperfect_Writing (you know why and when 😜)

**The fans of (Melody) may recognize the name of the character in the story... Anyone??? ;)