Q. How do you balance the fantastical worlds you create with the everyday discipline required to bring them to life? 

A: For me, writing is both an escape and a calling. I love building other worlds—whether it’s a time-traveling hero on a quest for redemption or a dragon-guarded realm that reflects deeper truths about our own. But those stories don’t write themselves.

Balancing the creative and the practical is something I’m constantly working on. I’ve had days where I’d rather stay in the dreamworld of my characters than face the blank page—or the laundry pile. That’s where discipline comes in. I’ve learned that showing up, even when inspiration is nowhere in sight, is part of the writer’s journey.

I remember when I was working on Beyond the Fifth Gate. I hit a wall about halfway through. The plot got tangled, I started second-guessing the arc, and everything in me wanted to step away “just for a few days.” Instead, I gave myself a simple goal: write 500 words every morning before I did anything else. Some days, those words felt like pulling teeth. Other days, they flew. But by the end of a few weeks, not only had I broken through the block—I’d rekindled my excitement for the story. That steady rhythm brought me back into the world I was building.

Interestingly, the more I stay grounded in the real world—managing my time, sticking to frugal habits, honoring commitments—the more space I seem to have for creativity. It’s like discipline unlocks imagination. They’re not opposites; they’re partners.

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