Writing has always been a kind of therapy for me. The stories and characters keep me company when life is too much to withstand; they keep me sane when I've had enough. I've finally decided to share the people and places that keep me going. Maybe they'll keep you going too.
I've lived with chronic illness for over 30 years. It was managed well enough, for a while, until it wasn't. Relegated to my bed and left in excruciating pain for weeks—in darkness, in tears.
No light. No sound. No books or television to distract me. They would have added to my intense discomfort. I had only my mind to keep me busy during the hours, days, and weeks.
I invented characters. People. Places. Events. I ran them over and over in my mind. What if this? Maybe that?
It became something.
When I finally recovered enough, I wrote it down.
It was good. No, it was worth publishing. The characters hadn't just gotten me through a dark time; other people fell in love with them. Not just friends and family. Strangers wanted to know what happened next. Professionals got attached to side characters and secondary plot lines, the quirks and little bits I'd hidden beneath the surface, things intended just for me.
My rescue had been a boon for others.
Since the start of this series, I have been diagnosed with multiple degenerative neurological disorders, degenerative scoliosis, slipped and herniated discs, and an autoimmune disease. I thought I might have to give up on writing. I've spent more time in the hospital than I'd like to recall and far more time reconciling medical bills than writing. My nervous system isn't functioning properly, my back doesn't want to hold me up anymore, and my autonomic system isn't functioning properly. Basically, I'm a mess. I've had to turn my license in and acquire a cane and wheelchair. I'm not yet 50.
I've decided that this means I should spend more time writing, not less. Every minute I spend with my family is a treasure. Every moment with my pages is a miracle. I will write as much as I can, to the highest quality I am able, for as long as I am physically able. And terrorize the sleep of all who dare to read.
Thank you for reading my stories.
- Tori
I've lived with chronic illness for over 30 years. It was managed well enough, for a while, until it wasn't. Relegated to my bed and left in excruciating pain for weeks—in darkness, in tears.
No light. No sound. No books or television to distract me. They would have added to my intense discomfort. I had only my mind to keep me busy during the hours, days, and weeks.
I invented characters. People. Places. Events. I ran them over and over in my mind. What if this? Maybe that?
It became something.
When I finally recovered enough, I wrote it down.
It was good. No, it was worth publishing. The characters hadn't just gotten me through a dark time; other people fell in love with them. Not just friends and family. Strangers wanted to know what happened next. Professionals got attached to side characters and secondary plot lines, the quirks and little bits I'd hidden beneath the surface, things intended just for me.
My rescue had been a boon for others.
Since the start of this series, I have been diagnosed with multiple degenerative neurological disorders, degenerative scoliosis, slipped and herniated discs, and an autoimmune disease. I thought I might have to give up on writing. I've spent more time in the hospital than I'd like to recall and far more time reconciling medical bills than writing. My nervous system isn't functioning properly, my back doesn't want to hold me up anymore, and my autonomic system isn't functioning properly. Basically, I'm a mess. I've had to turn my license in and acquire a cane and wheelchair. I'm not yet 50.
I've decided that this means I should spend more time writing, not less. Every minute I spend with my family is a treasure. Every moment with my pages is a miracle. I will write as much as I can, to the highest quality I am able, for as long as I am physically able. And terrorize the sleep of all who dare to read.
Thank you for reading my stories.
- Tori
PS.
A note about the world around us.
You will note that my website and social media feeds are absent of politics and divisive opinions. I am here to entertain and distract from this world around us that can be very difficult to endure. I also do not get involved in wars or raising funds on social media. I do many things IRL that you won't see online. Don't take that to mean that I don't care. Take it to mean that this is a place for books, for escape, for things that exist only on the page.
A note about the world around us.
You will note that my website and social media feeds are absent of politics and divisive opinions. I am here to entertain and distract from this world around us that can be very difficult to endure. I also do not get involved in wars or raising funds on social media. I do many things IRL that you won't see online. Don't take that to mean that I don't care. Take it to mean that this is a place for books, for escape, for things that exist only on the page.