'To Write or Not to Write' was the title of my 7th grade research paper. At the tender age of 13, I was determined that I would be like Anne Shirley or become the next Jane Austen , sweeping unsuspecting readers off their feet with my devastatingly handsome hero and of course, a damsel in distress! My pen name was of course, Cordelia and I conjured up sappy love stories nearly every day.
Sometimes I think, "Boy, I've come a long way from that naive phase of life"... but have I really? If I'm honest with myself, I still want to swoon over the Mr. Darcys and the Gilbert Blithes of the literary world and not only that... I want a piece of that pie! I want to be a creator. I want to be a part of that process. To etch out my own brilliant character whether he has a dark past or whether he's the simple farm boy in a village - I want to write! I want to create!
To my 7th Grade teacher Mrs. Judy Fuchs (Pronounced Fewkes by the way :)) who, after reading my research paper, made me promise to dedicate my first publication to her...Here I come! I have a fantastic critique group, I have just returned from the LDStorymakers conference with my brain full and bursting with ideas and most importantly, that little Anne Shirley inside of me is as anxious and passionate about writing as she's ever been. What do I have to lose??
So, the answer to my 7th grade question? Write! That is the answer! Or more appropriately, Live to Write... Edit When Necessary!
Am I in over my head? Definitely! Am I surrounded by people more talented than I? Most certainly! Am I going to grow and stretch? Yes... and love every minute of it!
"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything you gave me."
Erma Bombeck
Live to Write...Edit when Necessary!
Sara
