Writing consumes you. You think about your characters while you're tossing and turning at night, while you're eating dinner, while you're trying to focus on something else. You can't get them out of your head until you release them; put them down on paper and let them live and breathe as much as you do. And for a while, you're safe, until some new character appears, desperate to get out.

They live in worlds of fantasy, of mystery, of undying love and adventure that most of us will never experience. We're jealous of them, we admire them, we hate them. What matters is that they make us feel. They allow us to escape; to forget about our overdue projects and our current heartaches. They keep us company when we're alone. They become our companions, and like old friends, we return to the characters in our books because we cherish them.

So forget about the problems in your life, and escape, for just a bit, into a place where good triumphs over evil and love always finds a way to prevail. Because sometimes it's nice to hold "Happily Ever After" in your hands.