Today’s prompt is to ‘Write a thank you note to my readers’. A good place to start is to thank you for reading my blog post/s. As we hurtle towards the end of November my challenge of writing a post a day is drawing to a close. I really appreciate the messages a couple of friends have sent to say they’ve enjoyed the email alert with my post dropping in each day, and for comments on here. I mainly set this particular challenge to test myself and see if I was disciplined enough to do it, as well as get a bit more creative with my writing, but it’s nice to know it’s not all falling into an ether abyss!

In previous posts I’ve talked about how as a writer a large proportion of my time is obviously spent alone when getting words down on paper/screen, attempting to shape the ideas and characters filling my head into some kind of story that makes sense. If I’m lucky those words will then reach readers, and there’s nothing better when a reader then makes contact out of the blue to tell me my words/story/book has resonated with them. When a reader takes the time to tag me on social media with a positive message, send me a direct message, or write a review for my books it really means so much.

When I was thinking about writing this post it made me reflect on some of my favourite comments/messages I’ve had from readers and I have posted some below, because I think writers can be really bad at celebrating the ‘wins’ -not book awards- for me, these are my ‘wins’. Also during in-person events having teenage boys (who we are told don’t read anymore – actually they do!), tell me my book is their all-time favourite/that they were up till the early hours finishing it, means so much.

I loved this story, so sad and poignant. *** Heartbreaking and heartwarming, this one had me bawling (in a good way) *** What a powerful story. It brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for your beautiful words ***

(Lovely messages from readers who read my winning ‘School’ story in Writing Magazine last year)

This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I felt like I was living and breathing the story, and the characters were all so fascinating that at times it felt hypnotic…. Like all great books it’s the little things that make it special – this book has lots of special moments. Skilful dialogue, tension, dark tones and mystery… It’s the sort of book that readers mourn when they finish. (an early review for Follow Me that meant so much!)

IT WAS AMAZING!! I started it on Friday, and I couldn’t put it down!! I really, truly couldn’t stop reading, and I went to bed quite late over the past few nights because it was so good! Once you read one chapter, you HAVE to read another one, and another one, and another one. I loved it. (a heart-warming message a young person sent me after reading Follow Me after one of my earliest writer events)

I love love love your books ( a message from a reader who had just finished Promise Me)

I love your writing

Comments like these keep me going on the days I read my work and think it’s garbage, when I’m at the sticky middle of a project that feels like it’s sinking, when I question why I spend so much time in this mad world of my imagination when it really doesn’t always reap a lot of reward, when I’m tired and tell myself I’d rather spend my time doing a million other things that don’t involve sitting down and getting words on paper….

But then I remember the magic I felt at points of the story when it all started to come together, and when a reader tells me they felt a bit of that magic too, that is what makes all of this worth it. Thank you!