I was the gift this time.
A dad contacted me. “My girls have read Madelyn two or three times each. Could we do a video call, as a Christmas gift to them?”
I agreed, delighted. We arranged the call for the Saturday before Christmas.
The girls came prepared. They had scads of questions for me.
“It says in the book that Peter’s eyes are a muddy brown, but on the cover they’re blue!”
“How did you come up with the fae?”
“Why does iron hurt the fae?”
“What are the Houses?”
They thought they were getting a gift… but I think I got the better end of the deal. I got so much encouragement in that little conversation.
First, I got to share a love of stories. I told them that I didn’t come up with the concept of fae. I first encountered them in Disney’s Gargoyles series. Iron hurting fae is an old part of the myths. I simply took that old idea and used it in my stories.
Second, I got to meet people that knew my stories better than I did. What was Grandma’s real name? I have no idea. I actually didn’t really think about it! But they thought deeply about the world I’d made, and what an encouragement!
Third, I got to meet people excited for the stories. They’d made fan art!
And all that together? They got to meet an author. I got to meet fans. I don’t think it gets any better than that.
You want to give a gift to an author? Find them on social media and send them a note telling them that you like their stuff. Trust me. You’ll make them smile.
***
In my last post, I mentioned I’d be stepping back for a month. And I did! I’m planning to be here regularly through 2024. Weekly? Meh. Probably about that. I’m going to be focusing on talking about writing and storytelling.
If you want more of my stories, check me out on Ream. It’s a site like Patreon, except it’s set up specifically for writers and readers. There are paid subscription levels (and I’d love it if you’d support me that way!), but there’s also a “Follower” level for free. I’ll also be putting out free stories there. Clicking “follow” still encourages me!
Jonathon Mast: Author 