Christine Hatfield asked Michael J. Sullivan:

Why do you write books?

Michael J. Sullivan Wow, such a simple question but so many answers to it. Writing for me is like breathing. I can't "not do it." When I'm away from writing for too long I feel like someone going through detox. Even vacations which are supposed to be a "break" for most people are frustrating to me because I generally can't write in places other than my office, and I'm constantly itching to.

Writing is something I would do if I had to pay money to do so. If some law were passed where you had to buy blocks of words...I would take a night job to do it.

Luckily, I don't have to pay to write...and I'm still amazed people pay me to do so. It's the best job ever - complete freedom - no deadlines (other than those I impose on myself) - no boss telling me what to do. I can set my own hours. I basically get paid to do the thing I love the most...what's not to like!

Writing, is its own reward...but sharing what I write with others and hearing their reactions to what I created pales in comparison. Its a way of connecting with others that few get to experience and that is extremely rewarding. I especially enjoy writing books that thrill my wife Robin...when she is loving something I've written there is no better feeling.

There is one other component that comes into play. And that is the ability to pay back my wife for a gift she gave me. For years, we existed on a single salary - hers. She went off to the "day job" allowing me to stay home and write. She loved what she did, so it wasn't a sacrifice in her eyes, but I still felt bad. Once my income surpassed hers, I was able to return the favor. She now gets to do what she wants to each day (and much of that is helping me with my writing or the business side of things). She says she's now become "feral" and couldn't imagine going back into the corporate world and having to go to meetings and dealing with the petty office politics and such. So yes, I do write to keep her at home with me and away from what would no longer be something she loves, but instead a burden. So yes I write for her in both the stories she enjoys and to pay back all the years she did similarly for me.

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