So You Want To Be A Writer

Life changing moments may be rare but they can be exhilarating! I'll explain it I always made a habit of reading ads in the back of magazines, especially ones for writers. Y do it because you just never know what you might find.

One evening while checking the ads in a poetry magazine, I came across the best ad I had ever seen. It read, "This is ad for writers who think they can!" I was immediately intrigued. The publisher was looking for anything pertaining to the writing life.

I was so intrigued by the ad because when it comes to writing, I always love a good challenge. I immediately showed it to my husband at that time. He found it interesting as well and suggested I write something and send it in. I told him I already had written some poems that would work. It was then he gave me a challenge insisting that I should write something new.

I wasn't real keen about following my husband's suggestion, still I grabbed a pen and paper, immediately putting my skills to work. That night I wrote, "We Do Not Write About." I did more editing on this poem than I had ever done with a poem. I wanted this one to be the best that it could be. I then typed it up and sent it out the very next morning feeling elated that I had produced a high quality poem that stood a good chance of being published.

I was surprised that I got a letter back with a check attached within a weeks time. Not only was the publisher.going to  accept my contribution, but he was also paying me the highest amount that they pay for a poem. Needless to say, I was on cloud nine. I couldn't wait to show my husband the check I received. He was so impressed seeing it, he told me he wanted to be a writer just like me. I looked at him at first amused then realized that he was dead serious.

He said he wanted to be a writer and asked me what he should do. "So you wanna be a writer do you?"I said. then added, "if you want to be a writer you have to write something first." He said he didn't know what to write about or even where to start. He pleaded me for help. My suggestion was for him to go find some local event, do a write up and then take it to the editor of the local newspaper and see what happens.

He followed my advise and spoke personally to the editor who had already been publishing local news of the things I was getting published for. I am happy to say he got hired and was soon knocking off one article after another. I then became his editor and proofreader.

What followed was a life changing experience for the two of us I supported him in his efforts to be a writer just as he had done mine from the time we met. Life was good.