During childhood, church sermons were often the occasion for fantasies of writing a book. I weighed character and storylines. I imagined technicolor events with attention to clothing. Over the years I often returned to these fantasies, wrote plot outlines, decided on chapter length, and penned beginnings but never wrote a whole manuscript. I suppose I didn’t have a big enough idea or the will to accomplish it. I love writing though. It’s my go-to activity to express my feelings, to describe my travels, to ruminate about life. I’ve kept notes on almost every book I’ve read since my college years. My career was teaching, writing is what I like to do, but I have never identified as a writer. I think that is saved for my last chapter. Why not? I write something every day, sometimes only a what-to-do list or email, sometimes a book review, sometimes “real” writing.
Susan Thurin 