I went to a party last night and made an amazing discovery.
People, in their unexpected honesty, can say the nicest things and not even realize they’re doing it.
found on VerseJus
During the event, I met and talked to a whole bunch of people I hadn’t seen in a while, went through the usual platitudes of making nicey-nice, and all in all had a good time. But there was a consistent theme to what folks kept saying that didn’t click until the evening was almost over but that left me with a silly grin on my face. It was this:
“Oh. You’re the author. Loved your books and please tell me you’ve got another one coming out soon.”
As an author, this means the world because someone is taking ten seconds — and that’s all it takes — to say something that has a huge impact on me. See, they don’t know or understand how I toil to tell a story (and they shouldn’t and don’t need to). They don’t know what it’s like to stare at a blank page and sweat out the fact that no words are coming, nor can they comprehend the empty feeling of thinking you’ll never, ever finish the book you set out to write. They don’t understand the loneliness of writing (which is why authors make such best friends with other authors), the demands of writing, or the anxiety that comes from hours spent churning out thousands of words that will later on get edited or deleted altogether.
But yet, it’s these simple words that keep me going, that lift my spirit and my heart, and that make me realize that even though my audience is still small, someone out there cares enough, was impacted enough, to tell me as much.
For that, I thank each and every one of my readers.
copyright to Charles M. Schulz
So please, if you’ve read a book and loved it, tell the author.
In fact, if anyone has had any impact on you in a positive way, let them know. It’s the little things you say that really make a difference.
Copyright © 2012-2013 · All Rights Reserved · TerriPonce.com
Terri Herman-Ponce 
And then your simple words ‘wish you were here’ messaged up me during the party but from the other side of the world, did it for *me*.
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A nice surprise for me to hear it.
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This piece speaks from the heart of a true writer!
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Why, thank you Carol. 🙂
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Lovely post, Terri. I could not have said it better myself. 🙂
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🙂 Thank you 🙂
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You know I’m a fan of your stories.
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🙂
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Terri,
As a reader, I am ALWAYS amazed at how pleased authors are, to hear how much I liked their work, or how much it moved me. Amazed. Writing is an art, and I love being transported into another person’s life, another world or deep into relationships of all types.
When an author takes the time to say “Thank you,” or “I love hearing from my readers,” and MEANS it, I appreciate it. It’s nice to connect with a person whose words have entertained me, And, to know she/he is genuinely grateful, for her/his fans, is simply icing on the cake.
~Michelle
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Sigh. This is what I mean. I LOVE THIS, and THANK YOU. 🙂
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