During my presentation I showed a picture of my grandmother's house and talked about how this home shows up in many of my books. It's a simple wood frame structure with a tin roof, but that home provides an emotional well for me. It is only natural that it would make repeat appearances in my stories.

After my talk several people came up to share how Nanny's home reminded them of someones home they cared deeply about. For Vicki Sansum it was her grandmother's. For Aileen Kirkham it was her Aunt Villa's. I didn't ask if they planned to tap into their emotional wells. Maybe they already have.

We all have those special places that pull at us, stir our insides, and evoke memories. Those places serve as a writer's emotional landscape. They help fiction ring with truth.