Wave Those Magic Wands
by Kayt C. Peck

            There’s a certain responsibility that comes with creating magic. For those of us who write fiction, it is important to acknowledge that we create magic. For most people, reality limits their lives. They can’t fly or build a world of their own making nor feel confident that their hero will actually win. Too many don’t even have a hero. We writers hold almost deific power to create new worlds, new concepts, new visions.

            When J.K. Rowling started writing the Harry Potter series, she created magic for herself, striving to survive a dark time which included being a jobless single mother with a young daughter. The magic she created for herself has inspired the whole world.

            I have a friend(s) who is DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). Actually, I have had two dear friends who happen to share the same body for well over 20 years. The first time he told me the stories from his childhood which led to his dissociation, just hearing the tales gave me nightmares. Recently, he asked if, as writer, I could help others understand what it means to be “people-people,” as he calls it. By the next morning, a character was fully formed in my mind, one who also solved a major plot dilemma and will be included in a future novel.

            For my friend, I hope that, in time, this little piece of magic will help his life and the lives of others like him, but it could only happen if it fits into the tale I create. As a story teller, I must engage my readers – fulfill them in some way. Otherwise, they have no reason to read my books. In the end, without them there is no magic.

Look for Kayt Peck's new book, The Pyramid and the Painting coming out this summer.