The only thing I know for certain as my 18th month with no fixed home draws to an end is what Eulisha tells Toshar early in The MoonQuest, the same thing Pyrà tells Kamela in the opening scene of The Bard of Bryn Doon, soon-to-be rereleased fourth Q’ntana book: "There’s more to every story." There’s more to my story as well. And all I can do is listen for it and follow where it takes me, in the ongoing act of surrender that is my life. 

“Not only am I not yet finished with The MoonQuest (as I thought I was), its StarQuest sequel will take me eleven confused and frustrating years to complete. Not the book itself. The first draft!”

A year later in rural Nova Scotia, on the anniversary of that Toronto class, I complete the first draft of my first book — a novel I never planned to write, a novel I knew nothing about except as I wrote it word-by-word: The MoonQuest.

"When was the last time you told your story — honestly, vulnerably, courageously? Whether it was last night or last year, it’s time to do it again — for yourself and for all those fortunate enough to share in it."

People are always commenting on my prolific creative output (20 books and five screenplays). But what you might not know is that I was a late bloomer. I didn't start writing my first book, "The MoonQuest," until I was 39, having spent many of the preceding years doing my best to avoid all things creative!

It doesn't matter whether you call yourself a writer. What matters is that you find an outlet to express what you're feeling in these unprecedented times are affecting you. What matters is that you open your heart to the inner wisdom that will help guide you through and past the fear, that will help you avoid the apocalyptic panic that is so prevalent right now.

Close your eyes and remember. Remember the stories you invented... Remember wonder and imagination... Remember make-believe... You can write.

“Sedona is my heart home,” she said to me wistfully, and in that moment I realized that it is mine, too. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I get to stay. It does mean that I will relish every moment I have here and will continue to be grateful for all the miracles that this magical place is blessing me with!

I’m often asked whether I have one piece of advice for writers. I don’t…because I have 10! These 10 tips have helped me write more than a dozen books (award-winning fiction and nonfiction), not to mention three optioned screenplays and countless articles and essays. They can help you too, whether you’re a seasoned writer or working on your first project and whatever your form, medium or genre.