Why I write

People often ask writers why they write. Some will tell you it's about creativity. Others say it's about expression, or the simple joy of storytelling. For me, it's deeper than that. For me, it's an escape.

When I started The Unbreakable Anchor, it was a distraction, something to occupy my mind so I didn't dwell on what my family was going through. My husband had lost his job, the third time corporate restructuring had upended the company he worked for. There we were in our early 50s, our children beginning to leave the nest. This was supposed to be our time. Life had other plans.

Looking back now, the signs were everywhere. I ran a camping blog for years. I write letters to my boys. Even in the video games that used to fill my spare time, I was telling stories. Every Sim I created in the Sims games, had a backstory and a legacy. In other games I was always more drawn to the lore than the gameplay. I just never connected the dots.

The Unbreakable Anchor gave me a sense of purpose. It was a break from the stress of my husband's job search, from the quiet ache of an emptying nest, from the weight of caring for my senior, disabled pugs. I found myself at my desk for twelve hours at a stretch, completely absorbed. People who knew my story had long told me I should write a book about it, so I did. My messy, beautiful life, anchored by family, faith, heritage, and the resilience to weather whatever came next.

When I finished, I felt an unexpected emptiness. So I kept writing. And in doing so, I discovered something I never could have imagined, that the stories I needed to tell didn't begin with me. I'm now working on Before the Anchor, a series of five books following the ancestors who came before me. In researching their lives I have found heroes, mentors, and people I wish with my whole heart I could have known.

What I really discovered is that this is my calling. For the first time in my life I have a purpose that is entirely my own, and a deep understanding that what matters most when we leave this earth is what we leave behind. A legacy. That's what I set out to create: something that will last for generations.

I hope to pass on the lessons I've learned, the strength I've found, and the stories that made me who I am. And in the end, I hope you'll find your own anchor, and know how to hold on to it.

— TJ Nilsdatter