Today I would like you to reflect on your journey as a
writer. When did you decide you wanted to write?
I told stories for as long as I could remember.
When I was 11 my family (Mom, Dad, 7 kids.) moved to the mountains
and lived in a two room cabin. No running water, no electricity, no indoor
plumbing. All I had was my books, paper and my imagination.
I started on my first book during our family's sojourn at
the cabin.
There were about 15 people living in this little ghost town.
My brothers and sisters and I would hike through the mountains, fish, camp and
just basically lived off the land as much as we could.
I don't think any one of us realized we were living there
because we were poor.
There were so many experiences I wouldn't even begin to
describe them all.
One of my Favorites:
I was tasked with the chore of getting water. I grabbed the
water bucket and stepped out of the door. Our cabin was on one side of the
road. the creek was on the other side. We had to hike down the side of our
mountain to the creek. On the other side of the creek was the slope of another
mountain.
I looked to my right and saw a huge six point Buck staring
at me from the other side of the creek.
Our eyes locked and we just stared at each other, me this
scrawny little 80 lb girl, it this huge, graceful, soulful creature.
It was my moment of communion with God.
It lasted a moment. And it lasted a lifetime.
Our family lived there for a year and a half.
This experience became the foundation of me becoming a
writer.