Hi Everyone,

Since the release of “Bird,” many of you have asked how I came up with my story line. Well, it was a journey. It kind of began in the summer of my 1992 and the drafting of my first short story. I was a young mother of two and was finishing my eighth year of teaching, but my first year in 7th grade language arts. I was asked by my department chair if I would be interested in participating in the Louisville Writing Project (LWP) that summer. Though I wasn’t crazy about giving up time with my own kids, I was eager to improve my skills as a teacher and a writer. So, instead of hanging out at the pool, or taking that family vacation, I spent my summer with fellow educators, feeling extremely vulnerable, raw, and exposed as we shared our writing. It was difficult letting others enter my thoughts, my intimate feelings, my personal place. And I can honestly tell you, it still makes me feel vulnerable, but it also gives you direction, guidance, and some valuable feedback.

It was that summer that I wrote my first short story “Peaches Delivered.” It’s a story that developed from the scaffolds of my childhood memories. People and events that were woven together to create the fabric of the story. Though “Bird” does not share a similar plot, it shares the same universe. It’s that time in your childhood when events seemed so big that they left indelible imprints on your heart.

Last year, I ran across “Peaches Delivered” and reread it. It was partly what gave me direction for a new kind of story. Though other factors played a part in “Bird”s final story line, “Peaches Delivered” had a significant part to play. So, I’m sharing “Peaches Delivered” in three parts, the first is available for you right now. I will add a chapter in the coming weeks.

Here are my three takeaways for this week. First, you never know when or where you’ll find your inspiration. Second, be vulnerable, be vulnerable, be vulnerable. Third, don’t kid yourself, writing’s hard, but it can be so rewarding. Have a great rest of the week!

 

If you liked what you read here, please consider buying my book for yourself or as a gift! And if you are even more compelled, please leave a review.