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A Star is Born!
In 3rd grade, I am awarded first place from my poem "My Room" in a district contest for creative writing. "My Room"
My room is a mess
and what do I care
Much to my mother's distress
So what if the floor isn't bare
I promise to do it tomorrow. Now the mess is much higher
Oh no, my mom sees my room
"Why don't we start a fire?"
"Why don't I get the broom."
I wish I cleaned it yesterday. -
A Novel Endeavor
My parents uproot me from my small town in Wyoming and move me to the big city of Yuma, AZ. Determined to hate everything and everyone in my new life, I spend hours on my first novel about a princess who rejects her noble responsibilities and runs away to live in the woods. -
Grammar Pains
After an agonizing year of Language Arts in Mrs. Leggett's eighth grade English class, I finally pass the Grammar Mastery Test. Through blood, sweat, and tears, I finally understand the English language--and knowing English has made all the difference. -
Milestone 1: High School Graduation
Woohoo! Graduated in the top 5% of my class--hard work and lots of scholarship applications later, I'm on my way to college. Go Raiders! -
Poet I am not!
Though I thought I wanted to be a poet, I discover in my second college poetry class that it's too subjective and I'm not weird enough to be a good poet. I decide to stick with fiction. -
Just for fun, or maybe for a grade too. . .
While taking education classes during my teaching career, I have the opportunity to write a creative story for a class. It's a short story written for teens, and at the urging of my professor, I decide to leave teaching temporarily to attend graduate school in creative witing! -
My Name in Print
It may not be a byline, but I'm credited as a nonfiction editor for the literary journal "The Fourth River." -
Milestone 3: I got a MFA!
Graduate with my Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA. Now, all I have to do is keep writing and keep sending my work out. -
Gathering Research?
Not much time for writing, what with a mortgage, marriage, and motherhood, but I'm gaining lots of life experience that will look great on paper someday. -
Milestone 2: BS Degree
After careful consideration, and while I took as many creative writing classes as I could, my practical side got the better of me and I earned a high school English teaching degree. Yay for health insurance!
