One of the most common questions I am asked when people find
out I am a completely blind author, “Isn’t that so hard to do when you can’t
see what you’re writing?”
The truth is; its not that hard. I have a computer that
talks to me, voice recorders, digital players and even a voice activated cell
phone. Being a blind author is not difficult if all I have to deal with is
being blind. The more difficult parts of being an author are not even sight
related.
Like most authors, I love to write and it fills my life with
joy and meaning. I write for and with my kids. I write for family and friends,
and I write because I love to build beautiful things with words. When I write,
my computer announces the stroke of each key and the content of each document.
It is such a thrill for me to write something and feel the immediate
gratification of hearing it read back to me. When the sound of the prose and
the picture in my head match, I know I am on the right track. Every author
needs beta readers or readers outside of themselves. As a direct result of writing
blind I get to hear my computer fill this role for me, instantly.
I also enjoy the experience of having visual memories, while
being able to use my other senses to create images that are more vibrant. Can
you imagine which color feels like a warm loaf of bread, a waterfall that roars
like a dragon’s snore or the smell of pine, alfalfa, and moss that means green?
Colors and pictures fill my world when I can use words to paint them.
Writing is not the easiest task to accomplish when you can’t
read your own work. However, it is a joy for me to figure out how to do it. The
sense of accomplishment and purpose is a great source of joy and contentment in
my life.
I have a blog called
Writing Blind that tells the story of
not only my writing but my journey through life as a blind person. It has been
a lot of fun for me to talk about writing and sharing funny stories with
readers.
You can also find information about my novel
Killing Casanova on my blog as well.
Come visit me and leave a comment.
About the Author:
Debut author Traci McDonald has been a writer since she
figured out how to make words on a page. Traci wrote for English classes like
most people, but she wrote everything else in between. Traci won minor competitions
with short stories, poetry and lyrics before becoming visually impaired. That
is just a political correct way of saying Traci McDonald is blind. Traci lost
her eyesight 17 years ago, but it never stopped her from living life and
following her dreams. She has struggled with her health and raising kids, prior
to the publication of her first novel. Traci is very excited to see
her dream in life coming true. She lives in a small cozy town in the Mojave
Desert, less than 150 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada.
The World of Ink Network will be
touring author Traci McDonald’s debut romantic suspense, Killing Casanova throughout October and
November 2012.
Sometimes not only your heart is blind, which happens to be
situation with Cassie Taylor, the heroine in this non-stop suspenseful romantic
thriller.
You can find out more about Traci McDonald and her debut
romance novel during her World of Ink Author/Book Tour at
http://tinyurl.com/8nejedq
