We Came To Say

So some time last fall I met with a professor who teaches English courses at the University of Washington. The plan was to meet at a Tully's coffee shop in Wallingford, and she was then going to deliver her critique of the twenty pages of my book I'd submitted to her the week before. Nervous, I sat waiting at a small wooden table and peered around the room wondering what the various clientele were doing at their little tables. My mother called. I talked to her for a while until I saw the professor, Theo Nester, walk through the door.

"Mom, I gotta go she's here."

"Oh ok, well gosh this is just so exciting! You know, I just think this is so cool. You should call me when you're done, and you know, you should call your grandmother." By this time Theo is standing in front of me and I remember I'm paying her by the hour.

"MOM, I gotta go she standing right here!"

"Oh, ok well..." I hung up on her.

In any case, the critique was interesting. It wasn't great and it wasn't bad. She had great things to say, and things she absolutely hated too. If I had to though, I would say I walked away that afternoon feeling good about the whole experience. Near the end of our meeting she asked if I had any formal writing training. Aside from writing in English classes in high school, No. To this she was surprised. I took it as a compliment and went on my merry way.

Theo contacted me a week ago and asked if I'd like to be part of a collection of writers she has invited to be published in a non-fiction book. Each writer has until March 5 to submit a final, proofread piece of no more than 3,000 words. The book will be published in April and we will celebrate with a book party sometime later that month. I said yes!

And now I'm pretty nervous. Excited, and nervous. I believe I have landed on a topic. At least, I hope so. Gosh I would hate to change that part now. In any case, stay tuned. Fun stuff!