I think for me, the best memory I have of being a writer was the first time I received an email from a reader who had deeply connected with one of my books. I’ve always maintained that if something I’ve written can resonate with just one person, then I’ve done my job, but we don’t always hear about it when that does happen. Some readers think we don’t want to engage with them, or some feel a little bit shy when it comes to reaching out, but receiving even just a brief paragraph about what someone enjoyed in one of our books really does make our day. It gives us a connection to the people we’re writing for, and a lot of the time, that can mean so much. Being a writer can be isolating at times—okay, a lot of the time—so interaction is hugely important to me.
It reminds us that amongst the negativity and, at times, the shaming of the romance genre, there are people out there who want our stories. There are people who feel a sense of belonging and visibility based on a storyline. Romance gets a bad rap more often than it deserves, but we have our community, and it’s mostly a wonderful place to be.
When that first email came through to me, I remember rereading it several times. The reader spoke about how they saw themselves in one of my characters, how the journey of love and self-acceptance had given them hope. They simply felt less alone. That’s the kind of impact you can’t measure by review numbers, ratings, or sales charts. It’s human. It’s honest. And it’s why so many of us keep coming back to the blank page day after day.
Writing can feel like shouting into the void sometimes, especially in a digital world full of constant noise. But when someone takes the time to tell you that your work mattered, that your words helped them through something, or gave them an escape when they needed it most, it anchors you. It validates the hours spent agonising over plotlines, characters, and whether that one scene really needed a rewrite (spoiler: it usually did).
So if you’re a reader and you’ve ever thought about sending a message to an author—do it. Even if it’s just a few words. Because that simple act of kindness and connection might be the very thing that keeps them writing.
And for writers? Keep going. Someone out there is waiting to find themselves in your pages.
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