Thursday, June 6, 2013

How to be an author (short story) by Leanne Dyck

Sometimes a chance encounter with a stranger can completely change your life. It has happened to me so many times that I've coined a phrase--'meeting an angel'. Here's an example...


How to be an author


The question of what I was going to do next career-wise had been dogging me for months. The years after my mother’s death had been ones of transition. My husband and I had moved from the urban mainland to a remote island. On the island, I opened a craft supply store only to close it two years later. My experiences in the store had led me to a new career—knitwear design. I sold hand knitting patterns through my website to knitters from around the world. I also sold my knitting through a gallery. And I even deigned for wool producers. But knitting 24/7, seven days a week had resulted in severe wrist pain. My doctor sent me to a specialist and, after testing, the specialist advised me to take a year-long break. And there went that career. Leaving me directionless. 
I climbed out of the truck and followed my husband past the rows of vehicles, up the stairs and to the passenger deck. We claimed one of the last available benches.
Thinking that writing about my dilemma would help, I pulled a pen and my journal out of my purse. I wrote about the weather, the ferry and what we where going to do on the mainland. Then I wrote:  maybe I could be a writer. I quickly added a series of buts—but I have dyslexia; but I don’t know how: but I don’t know any authors.
Me becoming an author sounded so silly in my head, but maybe if... 
“I want to be a writer,” I told my husband.
“What do you mean you want to be,” he said. “I find your writing all over the house. You are a writer. You do write.”
“No, I mean for a living. Be an author. But I have no idea how to do that. And me? An author? It’s too… It’s too si—“
The woman who was sitting on the bench in front of ours, turned around. “Pardon me.” She spoke with a slight English accent. “I don’t mean to eavesdrop. But I heard you say you wanted to be an author.”
I blushed but nodded.
“I’m an author.” She gave me her name and told me about her books. “And there’s only one way to be an author.”
I was hanging on her every word. I wanted so badly to know the secret. “How?”
She fixed me in a soft, friendly gaze. Smiled. And said. “It’s not as hard as you think, you know. To be an author, you need to write. So write.”

Angels will visit you too. All you have to do is be open to them. They'll find you. In fact, you may even get to be an angel in someone else's life.

Updated:  June 26, 2020 (11:41 am)