About Sweetmama Editor
Nadine Silverthorne’s love of journaling began in Grade One with the entry, “I am the greatest dancer!” Two babies (and countless diaper changes) later, she has found her home away from home as editor of SweetMama. Don’t miss her humorous bi-weekly accounts of the joys and pains of working while raising them fabulous.
I think that deep down I knew I wanted to be a writer at a very young age. The problem is that my first foray into storytelling was a traumatic one (best saved for a future book perhaps) and it scarred me for a long time. I think my second grade teacher meant to encourage my gift, instead it terrified me.
But try as I might to suppress it, I was forever telling stories. I do recall a pivotal moment in high school (we all have a few of those light bulb define-your-life-moments) when I first thought that I could be a writer. It was while reading about Sassy Magazine's "My name is Ishmael" writing contest and drafting a story for submission. I never sent it in.
You see my dad was (is) also a closet writer. And being that nothing really became of his attempts (except boxes upon boxes of notebooks in the basement), my writing ability wasn't really encouraged. "Writer" didn't really fit my immigrant parents' dreams of little Canadian children growing up to be doctors or lawyers. Who made money writing? (A question a lot of employed writers still ask themselves. Heh.)
The thing is, you never really know. The first story I ever published (at age 27) was one I wrote when I was 19 about finding a lump in my breast (which turned out to be benign, TG). It was the beginning of my writing career.
That's why I'd like to mention a great contest to all of you. Willow's My Hero Contest is looking for essays from kids (ages 8-12), who would like to nominate the breast cancer hero in their life. The essay must answer the following: “Why is the person I love who has been diagnosed with breast cancer my hero?”
The top three essays will win RESPs that they hopefully will put to good use. Other entries will be posted on Willow's My Hero website. If you know of a kid who has a unique story to tell and a gift when it comes to the telling, I strongly recommend encouraging that child to spend their summer vacation working on their entry. (The contest closes September 11, 2009.)
Follow up with them, show your interest and make sure they stay on task. Don't give up on the child when she gives up on herself. While she might take the long way to get there, if she's got the talent, the support of those around her (and eventually, that light-bulb moment), a contest like this one could start her on her way.