From Grader to Writer

I recently had a revelation:  I make my students write all the time, so why don't I start doing some writing of my own?  I used to write quite a bit as a college student and had a few pieces published in the Bluffton College literary journal, but I haven't really written in the last eighteen years.  It always seemed that reading to prepare to teach and grading writing from my students took precedence over any writing of my own.  In the last few years I've started reading for pleasure much more (I've been on a Jeff Pearlman kick lately - The Bad Guys Won and Boys Will Be Boys about the 1986 New York Mets and the Dallas Cowboys of the early 90s), and I want my writing to follow the same path.

What really started me down this path was an article in The Courier before Christmas which talked about a writing workshop at the Findlay-Hancock County Library starting in January (click here to register for the next workshop on Wednesday, February 17).  Kay Cocklin, a retired teacher and published writer, is leading the workshop, and the first meeting on January 20 focused on developing a character.  My homework (and yes, I have already started it though it isn't due until February) is to write the first chapter of my story, and here's a snippet of what I have so far.

What I really like about this writing workshop is that I am the student again.  It's fun to see what I can do and realize where I struggle.  As I look at this image of the beginning of my chapter, I've already seen one mistake.  As a teacher, it's sometimes easy to forget the struggles students face when they are trying to complete their work.  Teachers need to have high expectations, but everyone needs to be allowed to make mistakes.  That's how we learn.

Will this chapter I'm writing for next month eventually develop into a New York Times best-seller?  Will I become a world-renowned author, traveling to book signings at Barnes & Noble?  If I do, it will be exciting.  If I don't, I'll gain experience as a writer which I can pass on to my students so maybe one of them will become famous.  By the way, if any students want to sign up for the workshop and surprise me with their presence in February, I'll be a very happy teacher!