by Alycia Morales @AlyciaMorales

We’re consistently told writers are an unusual bunch, and we’re usually all right with claiming that label for ourselves.

With Thanksgiving approaching, what better time to reflect on the unusual things we writers are thankful for? Because, honestly, we appreciate some really strange stuff…

1. Spouses who have expertise in areas such as firearms, medical issues, special ops, police procedure, etc.
2. Families who understand our need to “go dark” and respect it.
3. News reports that make us want to die inside but are great fodder for our plot lines.
4. Our researched knowledge base that helps us in real-life situations such as when a valet steals something out of our vehicle and we have to file a police report.
5. Friends who take our picture on the road with them and post us on Facebook as being on their adventure with them. (Good publicity!)
6. The ability to avoid reading one-star reviews. (It’s a superpower.)
7. The harsh critique (that improves our writing)
8. A full night of sleep without interruptions from our characters and plot lines.
9. Book sightings and the friends and fans who share them.
10. Getting to the airport an hour or more before our flight and long layovers. (Time to write!)
11. Imaginary friends and the voices in our heads.
12. Sticky notes.
13. The look on strangers’ faces when we’re out with writer friends and are discussing how to kill someone. (Classic.)
14. The fact that we don’t get sent to jail based on our recent Google search.
15. Rejection letters. (There’s so much to learn from rejection.)
16. NaNoWriMo
17. Breaking through those walls that try to get in the way of our plot line.
18. Wine of the month club. (Or coffee of the month club. Or chocoholics anonymous.)
19. Book unboxings.
20. This unusual gift we’ve been given to influence the minds and hearts of others. May we do so well and in ways that honor the Lord.

What would you add to the list? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below?

Alycia Morales is a freelance editor and writer. Her writing has been in Thriving Family magazine, Splickety Love, and several compilation books. Her editing clients have won several awards for their manuscripts, including finalist in the Selah Award. She is also a conference assistant for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

When she isn’t busy hanging out with her writing friends, her husband, and her four children, Alycia enjoys reading, watching TV, hiking, and crafting.

Follow Alycia at her blogs, Life in the Mothership,  Life.Inspired. and The Write Editing. She can also be found on Instagram and Pinterest.