Where is my voice? What is my platform?

How do I use my voice, my platform, to make a difference? That’s the question we all need to ask.

I am the child of missionaries. I grew up with the expectations (at least of myself) that I should make a difference in the world. I have worn different hats at different stages of my life, but my present platform is writing.

I am in different stages of several writing projects and the question of voice weighs on me. My writing spans the genres of non-fiction, novel, short story, and children’s books. My subject matter spans from acculturation and cancer to domestic abuse, faith, and ecology. Is there a common theme?

Yes.

My message is one of hope, healing, and strength. Life does not always have happy endings- neither do the stories I write - but there is always hope, there are always opportunities to heal and to grow.

That message is sometimes difficult to remember. My stories are often dark and full of pain just as life is full of chaos and tragedy. But life is also full of beauty and joy- sometimes in the smallest places or when least expected. If my writing can remind the reader of what is good in life, that there is hope, I have done my job.