Word! Caribbean Book Fest

I can't say enough how refreshing it was to be around such creative and conscious souls.  The myriad of publishers, authors, and enthusiasts gave the Word! event an energy that felt like home.  It's easy to forget how many writers are still out there struggling to get across the message of the everyman to to other everyday people.  The job of a writer is a time consuming emotional roller coaster that if you don't have the right support, can throw you into the proverbial dirt like a wild bull.  These people reminded me just how sweet it is when you refuse to let go.  I got speak with great fiction writers like Marlon James, author of Jon Crow's Devil, The Book of Night Women, and A Brief History of Seven Killings.  Insight into another author's creative process, as individually unique as it is, can provide a great starting point for novice writers like me to create their own.  The art form itself is so cathartic to me I can't help but put pen to paper or keystroke to screen when the fire is lit.  It's not often I get to be surrounded by people who have that same passion.  An added bonus is that most of the guests have lived the immigrant experience and not only put it into their stories, but the books have a cultural flavor and authenticity that can't be matched by mainstream writers.  It's nice to know that I don't have to compromise myself, nor should I, to write a great story.  That's not something many of us can say every day.