That was the question posed to me by a friendly gentlman while we were waiting for sandwiches at Au Bon Pain.
Evidently my 'yup' to his question about the hard boiled eggs I was holding sparked that question, because I had an accent.
That was a first for me...as have many of the experiences I've had here in New Jersey and at Rutgers. The conversation went on for several minutes, about what I was studying, etc and so forth. It was really quite random, but that question of his was perfect fodder for this post.
Why? Because today (ok, yesterday) I met Alison Larkin, author of the best selling book The English American.
(Well, maybe that connection works better in my head than on paper, but work with me, people.)
The workshop I attended was coordinated by the Mary I. Bunting program, of which I am a proud member (non-traditional DRC, represent! Ok...I promise never to say that again.) It's part of a series they are presenting called "Transforming Identities in Adulthood." While Ms. Larkin was actually going to be part of two events (the workshop and then a lecture/performance/reading in the evening), class schedule dictated that I should really only skip so many classes (plus I had the sneaking suspicion that there would be a pop quiz in chemistry...and I was right.) This particular workshop, entitled "Transforming Your Life Into Art: Different Pathways to Writing Success," was a chance to get up close and personal with a bestselling author and find out some of the hows of navigating the writing process.
As someone who has been told they have a talent for writing and should write a book (though I admit, my mother is probably quite biased), I have never really had an inclination to pursue writing as any sort of profession. My writing generally consists of this blog, my personal blog, and a spectacularly failed attempt at NaNoWriMo this past November. I think, however, that the fact that I am at a stage in my life where I am changing up darn near everything (name, local, career, et ad nauseum...), the idea of attending a writing workshop (and perhaps the idea of writing a book) tickled a fancy that I'm really not quite sure what to do with.
Alison was wonderful to listen to...a given considering she's both a stand up comedienne and Britsh (two fail safes in my book), and really her talk lit a spark in me. Her message was quite simple, but so profoundly true: If you think you have something to say, if you have a story to tell, tell it. Write what you have to, write what is uncomfortable, because that's where the story is. I think the bit that got me the most was about emotional truth. Her novel is fiction based on her own true story. While it may not be true word for word, it is emotional true, and that is what captures the attention of the reader. It gives them something or someone to relate to. I found that intriguing as I sat and ran a mental list of the different books that tend to draw me in.
Now, don't think I'm going to up and change my major to English or anything...I'll leave that to Dawn and Dorothy. But, I think I'll be more cognizant of myself and what goes on around me. I always find that I have the best ideas when I'm not around a computer, and by the time I'm there, I've forgotten them. Perhaps it's time to start carrying around those little moleskin notebooks...they come in purple, don't they?
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