What?! There’s more to life than just writing!?? I guess I’m walking, talking, crafting proof. And it started BEFORE I was able to construe a sentence on paper. Before I wrote, I spun verbal stories at bedtime to delay the inevitable after lights out. My middle sister and I shared a room. At night, after our mom finished our nightly tale from one of our library books, we would lie awake, imaginations churning. And because I had a healthy fear of the dark in our creaky old house, I’d make up stories about heroic sisters who fought off monsters. But my creativity spread far beyond just whispered stories. And I have my mom to thank.
My mother was an occupational therapist at our local State Hospital (the grim place mentally impaired patients were kept before we knew what to do with them). She taught arts and crafts part time while my sisters and I were in school, so naturally, we were expected to excel in them. Imagine her frustration with an ambidextrous daughter who knit with both hands equally. I learned to sew by hand and on an ancient machine and to do needlepoint. I could cook up a storm for family and friends. When I declared I was going to become an author, she said, “That’s nice, but what are you going to do for a living.” One did not make a living from words and make-believe stories, so Mom insisted I find a profession that would incorporate what I loved. I’d become a teacher. But that took years, and I only had so much money available for college. I could be a journalist, but I was too shy to initiate interviews. Then one of my professors echoed what my high school English teachers told me - that I was the best creative writer they’d ever had. I should be writing books – in a time when there was no mass market for fiction, no career ops for someone spinning stories.
But I never gave up. Notebooks of hand-written pages stacked high while I went to insurance school but hated sales. I got a job with an attorney that spun into a profession. With my photographic memory (my superpower!) I could find any file in our office and detail the case practically verbatim. I loved finding out our clients’ backstories by doing dictation on their cases.
And during my lunch hour, I wrote. Every. Day.
And I still do, 80 published books and many partials later. When my attorney retired from the office so did I. I became what I’d dreamed of becoming – a fulltime writer – who still LOVES to cook, sew, knit, do word and picture puzzles while putting together the pieces of my next novel.
Life is a creative adventure and I’m enjoying it!!
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the November 6th posting of the IWSG will be are Diedre Knight, Lisa Buie Collard , Kim Lajevardi, and JQ Rose!
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Twitter hashtag is #IWSG
Your mom had a difficult job for sure.
ReplyDeleteBest creative writer - those words blessed you to go on to have an amazing career!
Thanks, Alex!! They were the kick in the pants I needed.
DeleteI wish you could have worked with me when I was a lawyer. It's hard to remember all the facts of any complicated case like you were able to do. I'm glad you got to fulfill your lifelong dreams to be a fulltime writer.
ReplyDeleteIt took forever to take those steps . . . and I have several more I need to take.
DeleteWow! You've had a very busy life and so interesting. Glad you get to do what you love full time now.
ReplyDeleteLiving the dream. Nothing better than being your own boss (except not having anyone else to blame!).
DeleteMy mother was a great sewer and she was mortified that I could barely darn socks! LOL She also wanted me to be a CPA as I was a master at accounting but I didn't want to sit at a desk for my whole life. And then I became an author and publisher and sat at a desk all day long!
ReplyDeleteSo glad we both followed our dreams! So many talents let them fall by the wayside.
DeleteMy husband and daughter both have the photographic memory super talent. Often, I'm stunned by the details they remember.
ReplyDeleteFantastic you've used your super power to write attention grabbing novels.
Now if I could just remember to pay my bills before the last minute and clean the cat litter!!
DeleteWhat I wouldn't give for a photographic memory... sigh. I'd forget my name if it wasn't on a plaque outside my office door.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that you had teachers who encouraged you in your writing and even more wonderful that you've been able to build a career out of it. 80 books is amazing!
A photographic memory would be so useful! I used to have a fantastic memory, but then I had kids and now I'm lucky if I can remember where I put my keys.
ReplyDeleteI wish I have a photographic memory but then again, I watch way too many tv shows, mostly crime shows, so maybe not.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a good journey to being a full-time writer. I hear about people having full-time jobs and writing at the same time which makes sense because you can't really make a living writing full time, not at the beginning.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Have a lovely day
Wow, Nancy! You are amazing in all you can do. I truly understand how you felt when your mother told you to get a "real" job. My father told me the same thing. I worked for lawyers too, although I did NOT have a photographic memory. Boy, would that have helped. More power to you! Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDelete