I'm an Author

I just realized it.

As a kid, I wanted to be an author. I did not want to be a journalist, but I thought one day I would write a book. I had no idea what my subject matter would be and wasn't confident in my writing skills.

I took extra writing classes in high school. Mrs. Vlasin's Expository Writing class was my favorite. We were allowed to write about what we wanted to write about. No book reports. No history research papers. Just writing about the things we cared about. We learned how to critique other people's writing and therefore our own. The class was about style and technique, not dates and names. Talk about the freedom! This class was right up there with the math classes. I loved it.

Of course I went to college to become an engineer and forgot about the fabulous experiences in Mrs. Vlasin's class for quite a while. As I moved into Project Management and Business Process Development, I felt the lessons returning. I enjoyed writing and was often requested to edit the work of my colleagues.

Then it hit me this morning. I have a blog. I post to it on a regular basis. I write about things I care about. I'm an author.

I would still love to write a book. I've started a couple but have finished none, so far. The subject matter is still elusive, but I feel I'm getting close.

Mrs. Vlasin's used to say, "I'm not a good writer. I'm a good re-writer." By that she meant that editing is important for good writing. She would say to write what you're thinking, just dump it all out on paper. Then refine and rearrange, save some sections for other pieces and finally remove all of the "th" words you can.

I know being a high school teacher is a very hard job. Teachers do not really know if they've ultimately made a difference or not. So I want to thank my public high school writing teacher for inspiring me and for making a difference in my life.

Mrs. Vlasin, I am an author because of you. Thank you for teaching and inspiring me.