“I don’t like writing; I like having written.” Rick Bragg and many other famous writers have said this to me, and the quote has been ascribed to countless others as well. It’s often how I feel, because sometimes the physical act of conceiving of one word to put after another and then another and another ad nauseum can be, well, nauseating. Other days, the words flow freely, but in more than 20 years as a novelist, I’ve never had the sensation William Kent Krueger and some other great writers have described: that of receiving a story fully formed and seemingly dictated by a muse. They talk about feeling like a scribe taking dictation as some mystical force tells them the story, and they merely transcribe it. The process is so easy, they almost feel guilty putting their name on the finished manuscript. I envy the hell out of them.

Many writers I know, including my wife—author Kim Conrey—and my favorite nonagenarian Ed Gruber, love the writing experience itself, and their joy comes through in their work. Romance, emotional tension, physical danger, and other dramatic situations as well as plentiful humor spring from their pages. You can tell they had a great time writing those passages. When they sit down to create, they harness the magic of inspiration and produce stories that make you feel genuine emotions.

I’ve blogged about the writer-as-magician in previous posts. There’s even a scene in my amateur sleuth murder mystery Aftermath where author David Stark explains this to the protagonist, Janet: the ability to take the squiggles and lines of our made-up alphabet and string them together to form words (also invented) that cause readers to feel a genuine, deep-down emotion is doing real magic. And I’ve had some moments writing all my books where I provoked tears or laughter with my own words, but for me the magic of the writing life comes through the strongest when I talk to readers.

Maybe I’m a born salesman, or perhaps it’s a skill I’ve forced myself to learn, but when I’m in a bookstore or at a craft fair booth doing a signing, I love the experience of meeting readers and telling them about my novels and the stories behind the stories. When a customer realizes that one of my works appeals to them, and they’re excited to take it home and start reading it, I feel a magical connection with them. They were seeking an escape, an entertaining story, or something to make them feel deeply, and my book filled the bill. I always hope that trust they put in me and my work isn’t tested or subverted. So far, no one has gotten in touch to tell me they disliked my novel. If they didn’t care for it, I guess they won’t be reading this post, because they would’ve unsubscribed from my mailing list long ago! Speaking to a book club gives me even more of that thrill because these folks liked a story of mine enough to invite me to discuss it with them. It’s an honor I never take lightly and never decline.

For me, there’s something special about meeting a stranger and enthusiastically telling them about a story that I felt inspired to write. When they ask which novel is my favorite, it’s like asking a parent to say which child they love the most. Each book holds a special place in my heart for different reasons. I tell them those reasons, and often one story in particular connects with them and what they were looking for. Sometimes they’re seeking a book to give as a gift, and I have the additional privilege of helping them select the story that will resonate with the recipient and reflect well on the giver. In all these circumstances, I feel the honor—and the magic—of the writing life.

When do you, dear writer, derive that magical feeling of writing or having written?