Writing is something I have always enjoyed doing, an organic pastime that grew from my intense love of reading. Reading better books, I reasoned, would make me a better writer, some day. So I kept reading. And waiting for inspiration to provide the idea that would become my first book.
The years passed. I wrote travel diaries, and then travel blogs. Strategic research plans and academic grant applications. Press releases. Podcast scripts. Shopping lists. Thank you letters. But I never felt the muse’s touch for the book I wanted to write. And in the meantime I read many books, extraordinary books with soaring themes that left me intellectually breathless, but also rather ordinary books that belied my idea that only something important could be consigned to print.
And then, just when I wasn’t looking, a passing comment. “That would be interesting to read about. You could write that story.” And there it was. An idea!
And then I found out that having something to write about is actually the easy part.
Jennifer L Butler 