Disorientation: writing a story is like moving into a new home

A couple of weeks ago I moved, leaving behind the first home I'd ever bought and settling into something different. Downsizing and simplifying had been a goal for several years, and telecommuting the last few months finally gave me the time, energy, and motivation to make it happen. After living in my prior place for so long, it's still a little disorienting to be someplace so different. And that reminds me of what it feels like to write a story.

Have you ever been so wrapped up in a story you're reading that when you take a break, you've forgotten what season it is? Often I'll be reading a story set in the winter, only to be shocked to remember that it's summer in the real world, for instance.

For me, writing takes that experience to the next level. I'm in another time, another place, another point of view. I'm in the mind of Neal Caffrey, renowned thief and con artist. Or in the mind of Noelle, respected professor of psychology. Or of Zach, a college student several centuries in the future. I'm telling their stories, feeling their emotions, and discovering with them what they will do next.

Then the writing session ends, and I'm me again, in my nice but mundane world. It's somewhat awe-inspiring that these characters let me into their minds and allow me to help shape their stories. Of course, sometimes it feels like the characters are pushing me, even dragging me into their worlds when inspiration strikes.

It's disorienting in the very best way, and I love it.