What My Daughter Said About My Writing

So, I finished my short stories, and subsequently published (yay) so that I would not be hindered when I started teaching a short story writing class for the middle school where my daughter attends. This is my second year doing this. However, last year I only had the 6th grade. This year, I am doing 6, 7, & 8th grades. Lots of work, but Tyler (the teacher) believes I am enriching their appreciation for the written word. I show them the basic rules, show them how to come up with a workable plot, and let them have at it.

Some of them hate this class. Some of them love this class. But they all agree that writing is hard work.
They also respect me because at the beginning of each seminar I tell them about the struggles I have had writing as a profession--that I've published over 26 books/novellas, that rewriting and revision can kill you, and that in order to be a "good writer" you have to have written at least a million words that you just throw away. And I can back this up by showing them my published paperbacks and typed manuscripts.

Anyway, during this same time, the PTO decided they were going to combine a fundraising event with the local bookstore. They asked a middle-grade author to do an event at our school. She came in yesterday and spoke about her struggles to sell and eventually publish a book. I did not attend.

During the Pep Rally that was held yesterday afternoon for our basketball team, Tyler handed me the last of the short stories from the 8th grade. We chatted about their struggles trying to "impress" me. (I asked the kids to use fantastic vocabulary and let me say some of their word choices were completely fantastical.) Tyler also chatted about the local author who had spoken to the kids. He said he thought it was good because she reiterated everything that I had already told them--that writing was hard work. She explained her struggles (similar yet different than mine) and told the kids that it was the best job she could ever have. (Exactly what I told them.)

When my daughter got into the car at the end of the day, I asked her what she thought of the local author's event. She looked at me and said, "Lame."

I was disappointed in her answer. I had spoken to Tyler and he had been very impressed. "Why?" I asked.

And my daughter said, "Because she thought she was so cool. She started writing the same year that you did and she only managed to write seven books, six of which were never published. She said it was because she had little kids at home. Well, you had me and did all the volunteer stuff at school that you did. She also said her books were around fifty-five thousand words, and your books are like ninety thousand. And she whined about having to make revisions. She said they were really hard." She rolled her eyes. "She's got nothing on you, Mom."

Out of the mouths of babes. Can I tell you how much I love my daughter. 


Robynne Rand (c) 2019