Questions My Kids Ask Me About Writing

Being a writer means I spend a lot of time talking about stories, characters, books, and publishing.

Being a mom means none of that matters if someone wants to know what's there is to eat.

Over the years, my kids have asked me plenty of questions about writing. Some are thoughtful. Some are surprisingly deep. Some have absolutely nothing to do with writing at all.

And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ashlynn (15)

Can you tell when writing improves your mood?

Absolutely.

Writing has always been an outlet for me.

Sometimes it helps me process emotions.

Sometimes it helps me escape stress.

Sometimes it simply gives me a place to focus my thoughts.

Not every writing session fixes a bad day, but it almost always leaves me feeling better than when I started.

Can you write a book that I can read?

This one made me laugh. Because technically, yes.

Would it look like the books I currently write? Probably not.

But could I write one? Absolutely.

Maybe someday.

Maverick (13)

What's your book about?

This question sounds simple until you try answering it.

Because every time I answer, it somehow turns into a twenty-minute explanation involving characters, trauma, redemption, family dynamics, emotional damage, healing, and a lot of "Okay, but it's more complicated than that."

What's the personality of the main character?

I love this question because it gets right to the heart of storytelling.

Every character is different.

Some are stubborn.

Some are protective.

Some are broken.

Some are brave.

Most are a combination of all of those things.

The personality of a character often determines the entire direction of a story.

What struggles does the main character face?

Usually the same struggles many of us face in different ways.

Fear.

Loss.

Failure.

Trust.

Forgiveness.

Identity.

The circumstances may be fictional, but the emotions are always real.

Thomas (11)

What's for dinner?

Let's start with the most important question.

Not "How's the book going?"

Not "Did you finish the chapter?"

Just straight to dinner.

I respect the priorities.

Do you like your writing?

This is actually a harder question than it sounds.

Some days I love it.

Some days I stare at it and wonder what I was thinking.

Writing is a strange relationship because you're constantly creating, revising, questioning, and improving. But at the end of the day, if I didn't love writing, I wouldn't keep coming back to it.

Is there anything else besides writing that you like?

Absolutely.

I love my family.

I love homeschooling.

I love being a veteran wife.

I love hockey.

I love music.

I love reading.

And occasionally I even enjoy sleeping when my characters allow it.

Freya (5)

Will you make lots of money?

From the mouth of babes.

The honest answer? I have no idea.

Writing isn't something I do because I expect it to make me rich.

I write because I love it. Everything else is a bonus.

Are they frustrated?

Oddly enough, this might be one of the most insightful questions I've ever been asked. Because yes.

Sometimes my characters are frustrated.

Sometimes I'm frustrated.

Sometimes we're all frustrated together.

That's usually when I know the story is getting interesting.

Are you going to bed soon?

Probably not.

But thank you for checking on me.

Someone has to.

One of my favorite things about these questions is that they remind me that writing doesn't happen in isolation.

Behind every chapter, every story, every playlist, and every late-night writing session is a family living life right alongside me.

Some of them want to know about character development.

Some of them want to know about publishing.

And some of them just want to know what's for dinner.

Honestly?

Those might be my favorite questions of all.