Who Do You Think You Are?

Suzanne has been my writing coach for nearly five years.

I thought it was a bit indulgent of me to hire a writing coach.

“Who the heck are you to get yourself a coach?” I asked myself oh-so-many times before I contacted Suzanne.

Who the heck am I, indeed.

I still ask myself that question.

But with Suzanne’s advice and cheerleading, I’m finding some answers and making my way in this crazy world of writing.

I’ve been writing since I was in seventh grade, probably even before that, but it was so long ago the details are fuzzy.

It wasn’t until my sister died at the end of 2019 that I thought I needed to stop playing around with writing and actually do it.

Make it a priority.

My parents had both died about five years prior to my sister.

My kids were grown.

I could afford to spend some time thinking about me.

Losing my sister was my inciting incident.

What is yours?

We all have one.

Don’t think it’s just your characters who get the jolt pushing them toward action.

If you feel called to write, you write.

If you feel called to illustrate, you do that.

If you feel any call at all, you owe it to yourself to take serious steps toward it.

Suzanne urged me to start a blog.

It was actually something I’d wanted to do for a while, but she gave me the push I needed.

I enjoy the weekly writing I do for it.

Suzanne makes it pretty.

She urged me to write short stories for the blog.

So that’s what I did.

They were fun to write, tough to write, rewarding.

Suzanne asked me to compile them for the blog.

I did…after yet more editing (because we’re never really done editing, are we?), and she made them pretty, too.

Suzanne urged me to write an article for her blog.

Then she sent me the list of contributors.

Oh my.

I skidded to a full stop.

Everyone is so accomplished!

What did I have to add?

I’m not a published author.

I don’t teach writing.

I’m not a professional editor or agent.

More echoes of “Who do you think you are?”

But then, I thought maybe that’s what I have to contribute.

It’s like looking at social media and everyone is prettier and smarter and has a better life than I do.

But I still have a voice.

And you do, too.

Find it.

Pull up your big kid panties, find your strength, your bravado, your who-do-you-think-you-are, and write.

Write even if adding your voice to the mix makes you a bit nauseous, like you’ve been on a boat too long.

You have something to say.

You have a unique point of view.

You have encouragement to offer.

You have wisdom to impart.

Who do I think I am?

I am a woman with a desire to turn my words into something special.

I am a woman with a dream that one day someone I don’t know will read what I’ve written and will appreciate my thoughts.

I am a mother, a wife, a walker, a student of life, a homemaker, a friend, a retired substitute teacher, etc. etc. etc.