When I was teaching creative writing, I began every weekly class with “words of wisdom” written on the board. Here’s one of my favorites.

I was making up stories — not to get out of trouble, but for my own entertainment — as early as I can remember. I was writing down my stories and trying to get helpful feedback before I ever thought of submitting them. Making them up, writing them down, sending them out many times before I ever placed or sold one.

I’ve been lucky in getting a good number of stories over the right desk at the right time. I’ve been lucky to partner with extremely talented people to form Per Bastet Publications, where my work can get honest and usable critiques and can then be published.

But what if I hadn’t been lucky? What if I’d never sold a thing?

I can pretty well guarantee that I’d still be writing stories or, if I had nothing with which to write, making stories up. If I had nobody to tell my stories to, I’d still be telling them to myself. That’s just the kind of apple tree I am.

Are you an apple tree?

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Write about someone who has no encouragement to do what they love to do most.

MA

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