Becoming a writer
I grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. My mom was a school librarian, who taught me to love good books. My dad was a newspaper editor, who taught me to write clearly and accurately. Here I am with my brother and sisters. I'm second from the right. Being the youngest taught me to love being the center of attention. |
I can't remember a time when I didn't want to be a writer. Even before I was very good at putting words down on the page, my favorite thing to do was make up stories. When I was in the first grade, my teacher Miss Hogan, invited me to tape record a story I'd made up about a little boy on Christmas morning. Here I am at 10, with a poem I wrote for Miss Hogan when she retired from teaching. |
Just about about anything that's fun to do alone is even better when you share it with friends.
My friend Laurie and I used to sit in a tree in her backyard, writing cowboy and space travel stories starring her ten cats. When I was a little older, my friend Roma and I wrote a book together about a group of kids living on an enchanted island. We called it The Story. Here we are when we were in high school -- no longer writing The Story, but still best friends. Throughout my life, lots of people have encouraged me to keep writing -- and told me when things didn't work. That hasn't always been easy to hear, but it has helped me be the best writer I can be. |