It has been hard to call myself a writer in the past, but I’ve been pretty serious the last few months about changing my mindset regarding this word and how I apply it to my life, so when the opportunity came about to speak at my son’s school on Career Day as a Writer I hesitated at first, but then jumped at the chance.
I will be completely honest though – I was scared, terrified almost. I was doubting myself and worried that the kids were going to see right through me. I was going to be talking to 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders and I don’t remember much about being that age anymore. I was nervous that I would either talk over their heads or talk down to them. So I asked my Mom and my husband for advice, and after lovely conversations (and mucho support) I jotted down quite a few notes and ideas the day before.
The big day arrived and I got dressed up – that means the clean jeans, a nice shirt, and makeup – and headed over to the school. It was a full day, I talked to 6 classes and went from 9 am to 2 pm with a few breaks and lunch. I got to meet other Moms and Dads (and a few non-parent professionals) in the break room and I noticed almost everyone was nervous. That actually calmed me down. (Side note: Other people presenting to various classes were nurses, a sign language interpreter, FBI agents, the Fire Department, Police department with MacGruff the crime dog, a professional chef, a chocolatier, and a New York City government official that wore a batman mask!)
The first class was probably the hardest for me, but once I started talking and going through my bullet points in my head and relaxing into the moment, I felt good. Comfortable even. The thing that made it especially nice was, for the most part, the kids in all the classes listened really well. They seemed eager to learn about the different jobs people had and they were prepared with really good questions. My favorites were:
“Are you famous?” Uhm….no.
“Do you know anyone famous?” Uhm….no
“What’s your favorite book series?” The Ramona Quimby books
“How long have you been writing your current novel?” About 4 years (yikes)
“What made you want to be a writer?” I was a theatre major in college and moved to NYC to pursue that dream, but when that stopped being fun I looked for something else that was creative and gave me the ability to entertain others – my main reasons for acting in the first place – and I’ve always kept a journal so I tried writing and fell in love.
“Are you famous?” Uhm….no.
“Do you know anyone famous?” Uhm….no
“What’s your favorite book series?” The Ramona Quimby books
“How long have you been writing your current novel?” About 4 years (yikes)
“What made you want to be a writer?” I was a theatre major in college and moved to NYC to pursue that dream, but when that stopped being fun I looked for something else that was creative and gave me the ability to entertain others – my main reasons for acting in the first place – and I’ve always kept a journal so I tried writing and fell in love.
One of the 5th-grade classes had just been involved in a novel writing contest and were especially eager to ask me questions about writer’s block, what to do when you have too many ideas or conflicting ideas, and how I brainstorm and revise my work. That teacher even asked me if I would be willing to come back next year and help her class with that project again. I was honored!
I left the day feeling energized, excited, and exhausted. I’m a true extrovert but even I left school tired and ready for a nap. I was also ready to take my career to the next level…I joined an online mastermind group of like-minded newbie writers, I’ve been doing daily mindset journaling, and I’ve been getting my business stuff in order (like a newsletter – coming soon). Those kids and their amazing questions gave me so much that day, I’m so proud of myself for saying yes in the first place and for not letting fear stop me.
Good post, honey. I knew you would have a great time with the kids. Just be yourself and I knew they would love you.
Really glad to read that the kids gave you something back. You definitely appear reenergized.