What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
The greatest joy of writing for me is the connection it creates, given my main topic of mental health. When I first started writing about Borderline Personality Disorder, I had a simple blog that I updated with diary-like posts. I hoped that occasionally someone would randomly stumble across one of my posts and discover that they were not alone -- that someone else had experiences just like them and was determined to get well.
What has actually happened has surpassed my wildest dreams. My blog, healingfrombpd.org now receives in upwards of 40k+ page views per month from all around the globe, and I interact with my readers frequently through Facebook and Twitter. I have also gone on to write two successful ebooks that are also selling globally, and Smashwords has been hugely instrumental in my success. To think that my decision to be willing to share my personal story could help so many people brings me immense joy.
What do your fans mean to you?
My readers mean the world to me. I interact with them almost daily through many social media channels. I love hearing how they are applying things they've learned through my books and blog to help build the life that they want. I "meet" some of the most amazing people as a result of my writing, and I am very grateful for these connections all over the globe.
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