Quick Facts
Here are some quick facts you probably didn't know about me:
I didn't learn how to read until 2nd grade
I didn't like reading until 6th grade
I almost failed Academic Writing 1 in college
I took a grammar class at 28 to hopefully gain basic grammar skills
I hate reading out loud
Despite all of these facts, I am a published author of three poetry books and one novel. I am releasing another novel in June 2025.
I share all this with you because I believe in transparency and authenticity. Writing and telling stories have been my dreams since I can remember. There is no better story I can tell that represents "The Bright Side" than sharing this piece of my life.
In first grade, my teacher made fun of me when I read aloud. She knew I struggled to read, yet she still called on me anyway. I had to get pulled from the classroom to meet with a reading specialist. She spent hours trying to get me to learn the sounds of the letters. In 2nd grade, I had a fantastic teacher who never made fun of me, but instead encouraged me. He spent extra time reviewing sounds with me, and eventually, I learned how to read.
The crazy thing is I started journaling at age 9, but didn’t read much. I’d rather write my own story than read someone else’s. In 6th grade, I fell in love with reading. I connected with the characters and felt emotion from their experience. I will never forget reading "A Bridge to Terabithia," "The Trumpet of the Swan," "Maniac Magee," and "The Pinballs." That's when I wanted to become a writer. I wanted someone to read my words, meet the characters I created, and find a connection. I started writing short stories and reading as often as I could.
By the time I got to high school, I started writing poetry more. I loved it because I didn't have to follow the dreadful grammar rules. I struggled with grammar and couldn't spell words to save my life. I had an excellent English teacher who said I had writing potential. He commented on my lack of grammar skills, yet he didn't grade too harshly. He said he could tell I put in the effort. He asked me to sign up for AP English. The class had a summer reading list, and I wanted to quit. I struggled with some of those books a lot. My classmates could tell you every detail and answer all the comprehension questions, but I could not. My brain couldn't process the words I was reading until we read As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. My English teacher informed me it was best that I didn't take the AP English exam because I wouldn't pass it. However, I did pass the class.
When I went to college orientation, I had to handwrite a writing sample. I couldn't use spell check. Even though I needed Academic Writing II, I got placed into Academic Writing 1. This setback would put me a course behind. I was a writing major, and so embarrassed. But I had never felt as much shame as I did when my professor asked me to stay after class and told me that I had a D. I cried and screamed, and I wanted to give up on my writing dreams. Yet, I don't know how to give up. So, I studied as much as possible and proofread every assignment. I got a B in the class and an A- in Academic Writing II. I spent the next three years taking every writing and reading class I could. I had one professor who encouraged me to switch my major. She said I still lacked the writing skills.
I let her get in my head. I never changed my major but didn't pursue my writing dreams. Instead, I went into higher education and helped college students build leadership skills and get involved on campus. A few years after working at a college, my supervisor encouraged me to take a grammar course. She said that sometimes my emails lacked professionalism because of my grammar and spelling errors. I enrolled in a grammar college class at 28 and was pregnant with my second child. I also joined Toastmasters to improve my grammar while speaking.
Joining Toastmasters brought me back to my first passion: telling stories. I loved writing speeches and sharing them with an audience, and I wanted to continue doing that. I slowly started writing articles for an online college magazine, drafting novels, journaling, and trying poetry again. It felt incredible.
In addition to writing all the time, I started reading more. I didn't want my kids to struggle with reading like I did. I read to them often and began teaching them how to read. When my daughter was in 1st grade and my son was in kindergarten, we had reading challenges. By the time my third was three months old, he was holding a book. Reading has become such a massive part of our lives. I loved setting an example for them. And all of this made me want to get back to writing.
I wrote a draft for a memoir, and my husband reminded me how much he didn't support my writing dreams. He told me it was only a hobby and I wasn't good at it anyway. How would he know? He never read anything I wrote. He also made me feel guilty and told me every time I took time to read or write that I was taking time away from the kids. It was another way he tried to control me and stop me from reaching my dreams. There's so much more to this part of the story, but for now, I'll say I left him and filed for divorce.
In the past 4 1/2 years, I have written over 200 poems, two full novels, and many short stories and reflections. I have also published three poetry books and one novel.
The takeaway from this experience is not to let anyone or anything stop you from pursuing your purpose. I always knew I was meant to be a writer and had a gift with words. I may not have been able to spell every word correctly or write a complete, grammatically correct sentence. Still, my words can make readers feel something. And that's the ultimate goal. I didn't quit, and I kept working extremely hard to become not only a writer but a published author. I continue to learn from other authors and practice my craft. I am grateful for the teachers who saw my potential and believed in me.
