I didn't know I was different.
It's ok if you're thinking you've known that for a long time.
"Writers have stories going through their heads all the time. What a strange bunch."
The author was talking to a room of writers.
At every writer's conference I've been to, I've met some very nice people.
Everybody looked pretty normal.
Yet, I heard we were different.
We had stories in our minds.
What seemed odd to me was the thought of people with empty heads -
What, no stories?
How could it be.
I pondered it for quite a while.
But, I had to know
.
One evening after a quiet dinner,
while we were relaxing, watching TV,
I asked my husband, "Do you have stories going on in your head?"
He looked at me, like I'd said, "I've been thinking.
I think I'll grow another head, how about you, don't you want another head?"
He answered, "Ah, no."
I couldn't believe it, so I asked again.
"You don't think of stories as you're driving somewhere, or walking through the grocery store?"
I got the same, "Ah, no."
I was shocked.
I told him how when we stop at red lights, I have a whole story about the person in the car next to us.
When we walk through the mall, I watch people and imagine their stories.
It's what I've always done.
He said, "No wonder you get so tired. Your brain never rests."
Maybe he's right.
My first writer's conference was five years ago.
I've gone to several more since then.
I've met some fascinating people.
It's been wonderful.
We're like family, a lot of us.
It's great.
We get together and talk about those invisible people.
We visit about the murder that happened,
the characters who got married, or left in a huff.
Recently, one of my characters died.
I was so sad, I cried.
I didn't know he was going to die.
My friends understood.
They had experienced similar episodes with their characters.
Writing cuts you off from interacting with real people while you're developing the characters wanting out - the story bursting to be written.
We spend a lot of time in our little corners.
But, it's what we're called to do.
It's part of who we are.
Growing up I enjoyed the musical, Cinderella.
I would imagine with Cinderella as she sang, "In MyOwn Little Corner."
During the past five years I have spent many hours in my little corner,
with gunslingers, detectives, immigrants from the 1860s, soldiers from the Civil War,
and it's all been normal
to me.
I don't know about the rest of the world,
but I know I have friends in my corner.
Some I can see.
Some I can't.
It's good to know
I'm in good company.
After all,
What is normal, anyway.
Have a good day in your own little corner.
In My Own Little Corner, sung by Julie Andrews (1957)
