LDStorymakers, Bitten by the Bug

I had wanted to go to the LDStorymaker's Writers' Conference and when I went to register a couple of weeks ago, it was sold out! Then this morning I received a comment on this blog from Candace Salima and linked over to her blog. Hurray! She had a post saying that there were a couple of unexpected openings in the conference for anyone interested. Mindy and I got the last two seats!

For those of you who don't know, I've always wanted to write. First, when I was in third grade, I started writing romances. I wish I had kept them. My mother would roar with laughter when she read them. She never has been very supportive of my big dreams. Then in junior high school when my 8th grade English teacher assigned the class two page stories to write, much to her chagrin, I would turn in twenty page stories. She had me spend the time reading the book Dune to study his writing style. Looking back, I just think she didn't want to read or grade my long stories. Yet, at the end of the school year she told me to send her my first published work. (I don't think this blog counts...)
So onto Logan High School I went. I continued to love English, literature, and creative writing. Therefore, I took a journalism class my junior year. I thoroughly was taken with it, and much to my surprise the Grizzly Newspaper Adviser told me to apply to be on the staff.
I remember the conversation well. "Terry, I think you should sign up to be on the newspaper next year."
"Really?" I was flattered. "What position should I try for?"
"How about for the editor-in-chief?" he said.
I couldn't believe that he would suggest that. When they announced that I was the next year's editor-in chief, I couldn't believe it. I was so happy. It thrilled me to be a part of a team, and to write. I guess that counted as something that I could have sent to my 8th grade English teacher, but it never occurred to me until this very moment.
So fast forward 30 years, give or take a couple. I, yet again, have the urge to write. Finally, now that I have a little life experience, I may have something to share. I just need to do it. I've started with my blogs, found real writers and their blogs, and have been bitten by the bug.

Mindy went to the American Night Writer's Conference in Mesa two weeks ago, and loved it. She said that I should go to this one if I could. I didn't even think about the fact that she would be here to go with me.

So a small prayer has been answered. There are two openings with our names on them. I just hope now that the brain storms from the past will return and I'll be able to articulate them onto paper. What fun!