ABOUT THERESA BENNETT-WILKES
THERESA WILLIAMS BENNETT-WILKES is a self-published womanist author of fiction emanating from the African Diaspora. She is the owner and principal of Holly Tree Publications LLC, the publishing house for her literary musings. Theresa is a versatile scribe with more than twenty years of experience in the art of crafting soaring, unforgettable prose. Connect with her at, www.alwaystheresa.com; on Twitter @tbennettwilkes, Facebook @Tbennettwilkes, Instagram @hollytreepub, and on LINKEDIN.
I continue to create because writing is a labor of love and also an act of defiance, a way to light a candle in a gale wind.
Alice Childress
The foregoing quote spoke to me the first time I read it and it has become my anthem. I believe writing is a labor of love. This is my perception and I own it, fearlessly. Patience, skill, a substantial and continuously expanding vocabulary, fecundity, self-confidence, enthusiasm, and deep desire are required to efficaciously express, in writing, what’s in the head and the heart. An eye and an ear for the flow of words distinguishes the truly gifted from the wannabes. Soaring text energizes the senses, engages imaginations, enriches lives, inspires, informs, entertains, edifies, and uplifts. Writing purposefully is an act of defiance. Giving voice to thoughts, feelings, ideas, and perspectives in a compelling, persuasive, graceful, eloquent, and memorable way requires focus, vision, tenacity, perspicacity, and ability. Reliance on technology creates a mind-numbing dependence which insinuates itself into the subconscious with the insidiousness of a virus and the stubbornness of a parasite. Writing something worth reading does light a candle in a gale wind. I am an author and a publisher!!! What a liberating combination for a literary-minded aficionado.
Finding your passion is about connecting the dots between your head and your heart.
Maria Marsala
Why do I write? I write to educate, inform, edify, illustrate, inspire, uplift, and entertain. I am an adventurer; a risk taker, a gambler – that’s how much I believe in my passion for writing. I’m willing to take chances on what I create and produce. I write for fun and I enjoy my own creations. My stories evolve – I don’t plan them. My characters are born and their fictional journeys come to life as the plot progresses. I love history and so incorporate background details to add substance to my characterizations and the dilemmas that make up the plot. I want readers to get caught up and hate putting the book down. I do strive to provoke, delight, and enrage: in essence, to engage the gamut of human emotions. I want my readers to draw their own conclusions about each character. I don’t mind if they see her or him differently from me. I want my readers to take away from my work whatever he or she finds appealing, enlightening, useful, and memorable.I am maturing as my love of and passion for writing deepens. It is an ongoing love affair, sometimes tempestuous, occasionally tortuous, exhilarating, often demanding, occasionally frustrating, meaningful, edifying, and always fulfilling. I’ve learned to be proactive about my craft – my artistry. I confront discouragement head on by identifying the source. Once I uncover and acknowledge it, I can take ownership. I record my thoughts and feelings daily. I believe in the power of prayer and I’ve grown into an attitude of gratitude for life – both the blessings and the challenges; the mountain top experiences and the sojourns in the valley.