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It's hard to write my own biography, to figure out what parts of my life might be interesting to other people, what accomplishments define me--and what failures. It's a good challenge, though. I think everyone should do it at least once a year!
I was on a swim team from second grade to about 7th grade, and I was good at freestyle and backstroke. When I was 11 years old, I set a record in Mississippi for the mile, which was 66 laps of the 25-yard pool Tupelo Aquatic Club called home. That felt like a big deal! I loved hanging out in forts on the playground near the pool, reading in trees, swimming, pretending I could dive (stink, stink, stink), and seeing how long I could hold my breath. |
I think my most spectacular failures in childhood were not learning to tell time until third grade, and breaking my ankle while attempting to play the middle section of a caterpillar in second grade. Or was it third? I really don't think I want to remember! Acting clearly isn't one of my strengths. As for telling time, I think I've caught up now. Don't ask about how I do in math.
Finishing high school felt like a big deal deal, too, because high school and the lower grades weren't tons of fun for me. I was overweight and a tad freaky, and I tended to get good grades. Susan=huge nerd. Senior year was much better, and I actually got voted Most Intelligent and selected for the Hall of Fame in the yearbook. After that, it was pretty much school, school, school until I finally got that Ph.D. in 1991. I was probably still a nerd, but I did have the honor of being the youngest person in my graduate program, because I entered when I was 19 years old. Spectacular failures include screwing up a final in my best subject because I reversed right brain functions with left brain functions, nearly getting pitched out of my dorm for having contraband kittens, and breaking my arm *twice* while rollerskating. I really should stop rollerskating, I think. Am I still a nerd? Hmmm. Probably! But I'm a nerd with cool kids, cool friends, and cool pets. I also have really long hair I can sit on, a piano, a guitar, and a laptop with Harry Potter stickers all over it. That has to count for something.
I've been writing since third grade (probably beginning with the caterpillar and time-telling traumas). For a long time, I wrote only poetry and short stories, but along the way I tried a few novels. About five years ago I found a great friend and critique partner, Debbie, and started working twice as hard on longer stories Not long after, I got an agent, and she made my first sale. I get my ideas from everywhere--my past, things that happen in my current life, and even typos and things I hear or see wrong. Lots of times, a first line or a certain scene pops into my head, and I build a story from there. Other times, it's a title or a phrase. I'd love to write a book about one of my pets, but I haven't figured out how to do that. Yet. Spectacular failures in writing include most picture books I try to create, and misguided attempts to illustrate poetry.
Right now, I work three days a week in psychology, write three days a week, and try to rest on the seventh day. I also walk on my farm, feed chickens, drive dogs up the wall, pet kitties, pamper birds, and see how many times I can make my kids yell Mooo-ooom in a one hour period. I'm a football fanatic (college and pro), I love women's basketball and soccer, and I can beat my children at any PS2 game on the market, especially Lord of The Rings: Return of the King.
That's me in a nutshell today, but check back down the road. You never know when I'll decide to redefine myself.
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