GETTING READY FOR CLASS
I better get ready. For class.
No, I haven’t gone back to school. I’m gonna be the teacher again.
Me. A teacher. Never thought that would happen, me and schoolnever getting on so good and all . . .
Turns out I’m not too bad at it. In all these decades I’ve been awriter, I’ve learned a few things, and people are willing to pay to hear it.
Granted, it meant I had to stop and think about it. I don’t liketo think about it. If I was the type to make a list of rules I’d start with“Don’t think about it–do it.” I don’t care for talking about writing, but will do it for money.
There are people for whom talking about writing is their idea of agood time. I try to avoid them and wonder if their writing is as boring astheir yacking.
Same for those who want to talk about creativity, and ways to getin the mood. I’m always in the mood. My dangerously overactive imaginationgrinds away all day and night all the time. Why do you think I became a writer?
I have a file of notes of things to bring up, and I’m going overthem, making changes and additions. People have asked me to publish thesenotes, but they’d make pretty lousy reading. They really are just a bunch ofnotes. I put them in order to give me things to talk about during each dayof the class, and to use if the students (me having students . . . still soundsweird) run out of things to say.
@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}
It would be great if they were a lively bunch, and we spent thewhole time throwing around ideas and experiences, inspiring each other, y’know,being creative . . .
Sometimes I change my mind about things. Rules come, and go, forreasons. I like to break them now and then to see if they still apply. I breakmy own rules, to keep myself on my toes, and to weed out the clichés that peoplesay in creative writing classes because they're just are too lazy to come up with realadvice.
That’s pretty good. I should put it in the notes . . .
If I go over it, and think (ugh!) about it, my confidence willcancel my imposter syndrome, and I’ll be able to seem enough like a teacher tomake the students feel they got their money’s worth.
I’ve never had imposter syndrome about being a writer, or anartist. Throw me into just about any kind of creative activity–even if I’ve notraining or background in it–and I’ll come up with something, even if it’smaking a fool of myself.
People like it when I make a fool of myself. It's good not to takeyourself too seriously. That could be a rule . . .
But I’m uncomfortable being a teacher. I’ve also felt it as ajanitor, housekeeper, and a bookstore clerk, though I got good enough at thatso when it came time to become a library worker (NOT a librarian, I do thegrunt work) I could slip into that role.
Maybe I’ll be doing more of this in my old age. If the price isright.
@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}
