Guest post with Charlotte Bennardo, author of the Sirenz series

Today on the blog, Charlotte Bennardo has offered to stop by and talk about writing. Charlotte is the author of the Sirenz series, along with her co-author Natalie Zaman.

Yes, I’m going to try and discourage you from being a writer. Why would I want to do that?  Because of the scars.
Where??
On my psyche. Years of hard work dismissed with untold letters, memos, notes and emails of rejection. Why would any sane person choose to be tortured by prolonged, usually fruitless waiting, hopeful for a kind word from a stranger? And let’s not forget the pot shots of reviewers who absolutely hate your book, dissecting it while it begs for mercy. Those wounds never heal.
On my body. How can writing leave a person physically scarred? The crick in my neck and back from long hours hunched over the laptop, gnarled fingers from endless writing, and weakened eyesight from reading, reading, reading the numerous drafts.
On my conscience. There’s a heavy load of guilt because I’ve been jealous of more successful writers, not thinking (or just completely disregarding) how hard they worked. People who use fame or connections to get published got the dismissive wave-off without due consideration. Then there’s the word dance I do when critiquing manuscripts of aspiring authors who really need to rethink their whole novel, maybe even consider retaking those writing workshops. Maybe I’ve been too soft on them, falsely encouraging them hard on them. Or maybe I’ve been too hard, crushing their spirit.
On my emotions. The manic ups and depressive downs constantly wear on my emotional balance. One day depression, the next euphoria, then rage, panic, sadness, hilarity… you name it. Sucesses and failures—they come and go at light speed and leave tracks on your soul.
Avoid all this; go on your way and be happy, whole, unweighted.
So the question is, why do I write?
First, I can’t stop writing, I can’t walk away and say the hell with it, I’m done. My psyche, body, conscience and emotions won’t let me. Characters and scenarios perform a danse macabre in my brain until I’m practically possessed by them. They demand to be exorcised, and only my helping them migrate to the safety of a written text will ensure there will be no rebellion.
And then, in a dark crevice somewhere within me, there is the eternal hope of seeing my words in print, out in the world, to be acknowledged as its parent. Every little bit of praise fuels that hope, keeping it from starving to death. I know that when that resilient but not immortal particle flickers and goes out forever, it will take all of us—psyche, body, conscience and emotions—with it to the never ending sleep.
If you can, get out now, run! Or if your musings and stories are content to remain private, unsullied and changed by the world, then you are truly free. If not, you must write; there simply is no other choice.
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I would like to thank Charlotte for stopping by the blog today to talk about writing. If you would like to know more about Charlotte or her books, here are a few sites to check out.

Website: http://charlottebennardo.com/
Blog: http://www.charlotteebennardo.blogspot.com/
Book website: http://thesirenz.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/charlotte.bennardo
Twiiter: http://twitter.com/charbennardo