When are you a real writer?

I got my very first pay check from a publisher.

The Vermont Way

I have linked two articles that are on line on the tool bar as well as a link to the home page for the magazine.   I submitted a third article that will be in the January/February issue.   Actually, it is my 4th article for them, I wrote a piece for them in 2006 about ear tags in animals, but I can’t get to it on the web.  I have a copy in my closet.

I wrote a piece for Wildfibers Magazine several years back, but good luck finding that one, it was in the premiere issue, and I did it as a favor for the editor Linda.

When I was asked to write for Wildfibers and Livin’ a couple of years ago, I was simply tickled that someone would actually publish something I wrote.  I didn’t ask for pay, seeing my article was enough.

But this summer when I was looking for the issue number of my first piece in Livin’ ,  Kyle  the editor asked if I would write again, oh… and get PAID!   What a kick in the pants.  He read some of the blog and apparently didn’t get too worried about the spelling and typo issues.    So I wrote and wrote again and wrote one more time.

Yesterday I got my first check.   I kind of want to frame it, but I can’t figure out how to cash it at the same time, so I guess I will take a picutre or something.

I did the little happy dance and still can’t quite believe that my writing is good enough to be published.  Scars remain and are deep from being so frustrated as a kid learning how to read and write.  I still can’t spell well and make mistakes all the time, but I don’t get as stirred up.  The trick is to talk to myself, in my head as I write.  I talk to myself all the time, so it is pretty easy to do while writing.  The trick is to get the fingers to do what I want them to do.

Proctor Academy is a school in New Hampshire that has a great program for kids with learning disabilities.  Thank goodness that I was sent there after failing almost every class at Milton Academy.   I often wanted to kill myself when I went to Milton.  I felt so stupid and like such a looser.  On top of that I was in 7th, 8th and 9th grade, so in the ugly duckling stage, flat chested and braces.

So to all you mean kids from Milton, class of 83′  look who is

NOW!