I love to find out why other authors write.  Below is Micki’’s poignant essay on why she writes. 

ESSAY ON WHY I WRITE
AKA
“A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME”

Writing is how I express the emotions not exposed through any other outlet. All the feelings that encompass my psyche, subconscious mind, and yes, even soul, must be written down on a large yellow legal pad with an Erasermate pen. This most sacred experience allows me to examine my feelings, to cope with the school of life. To pass the test.

Who and what I am and hope to become are evident in my stories. In romance, I am the character searching for love, in paranormal, I am the character facing his/her demons, real or imagined. Humorous stories disguise me in my character’s blase’ take on the foibles of daily living. In every story that I write, I am there.

My losses, sorrows, joys, loves and dreams are forever etched in print. They cannot exist without me, nor me without them. Yet, I do not write to live, or live to write. Writing helps me make sense of the drama called life. Writing soothes my soul, heals my sometimes broken heart. I will one day pass on to another realm, but my writing will be my epithet.

It is an avenue of escape in an uncertain, sometimes frightening world – where love is fragile, dreams shatter, hope is dashed, then renewed. Writing takes me through the dark tunnel to the awaiting light. Writing is not what I do . . . It is who I am.

Find out more about Micki and her writing here.

Start by identifying the top blogs in your field, and pay attention to the topics they address. Subscribe to the blog’s RSS feed, or sign-up to receive their posts via e-mail. See how often posts by guests appear. Pay particular attention to the length of guest posts.  Pay special attention to the types of comments the blog attracts. Who are the frequent commenters? How long are the comments? Begin to comment on their posts, yourself, when appropriate. Check to see if the blog contains a link to downloadable editorial guidelines. These will describe the types of guest bloggers and blog post titles they’re interested in, and the submission process.  I subscribe to www.bloggerlinkup.com which is a free service that lets bloggers exchance and offer content to each other.  I’m sure there are other such sites.  Check them out.