While at a book signing, a few days ago, a mother and her young daughter approached my table. The woman said hello, then nudged the preteen girl and said, “Go ahead, you can ask her.” I smiled, and the mother said, “My daughter wants to know what it’s like to be a writer and what it takes to write a book.”
I asked the girl if she enjoyed writing, and she nodded. Her mother told me about the notebooks full of stories her daughter has written, and my smile widened as I told her all about my cardboard box of ideas I store under my bed, which I started collecting at right about that same age.
The girl’s nervous silence disappeared and turned into a big grin and great conversation. I highly encouraged her to pursue her writing, and she whispered to her mom, “Maybe I should finish that story I was working on.”
What a fantastic moment, to know I might have made a difference, inspiring a future writer. It makes being an author that much more rewarding.