Often people ask writers how they got started. For me, it was a long process. My dad was in the military during the cold war, so we moved around a LOT! And being an introvert, making friends took a lot of time and courage. So I made up stories in my head.

The first time I wrote one down on paper, was in the seventh grade for a short story writing contest. Several months later I found out that I'd won. The teacher said I should become a writer. I ignored her.

The second time I wrote a short story was in my senior year of high school. The paper came back with an A++ and superlatives all over it. The teacher said I should become a writer. Again, I ignored her.

Then one weekend, when my daughter was in college she had to study for a biology exam and write a paper for English. We had some things we wanted to do that weekend, and since she was a biology major, she asked me to write the paper. A week later she called me and said, "Thanks a lot, mom." "Did I fail?" I asked. "No, you got an A+++. But now I have to avoid the teacher because she thinks I should become a writer."

Okay, so I'm slow!

Have you ever had to be hit over the head with what God is calling you to do?