Rubbing shoulders with writers is always fun — you’re bound to meet some fascinating people. What’s even more fascinating is how often writers seem to be retiring, low-key types until you get them talking about whatever it is they are passionate about. Then they seem to jump into another skin.

Tonight I heard a number of writers talk about their passions — and it was exciting! They were so varied and yet each was so intense. One woman is a writer who’s created a hugely successful blog in which she reviews books from a totally independent stance. The blog has potentially given her an ever-expanding audience for her fiction writing, but it’s really about her passion for all things literary.

Another woman is a “green” writer who has transformed her passion into a book, a blog, and a radio show. There were also two pet lovers who shared their passion for innocent creatures with enthusiasts both locally and around the world. Then there were a few foodies, who are finding a variety of ways to pursue their passions in print and on line.

As I sat and listened to everyone, I was struck by the fact that as writers, perhaps our biggest challenge is to make our obsessions, our passions, fascinating enough to other people to bring them in to the circle of our belief and our enthusiasms. What remarkable work we do! How blessed we are to be free, not only to pursue our passions, but to share them — and give them a wider play in the world. We rescue lost moments, give the forgotten or the neglected voices, create whole new worlds at the stroke of a pen or key, and immerse our readers in feelings, places, and ideas they might never have explored on their own. Storytelling is magic.