What a great tribute to your teacher! I too, started out writing fiction and my English teacher quelled my passion by telling me I couldn’t name my characters what I wanted to name them and that my story wasn’t original enough. I wanted to name my main character, who was a dog, (surprise, surprise) Tucker and my teacher told me that would be a really bad idea because people would tease me and probably replace the T with an F. I change the name, but it took away my confidence in my own creativity. I have met so many dogs named Tucker and people named Tucker now I just laugh every time I hear it. I didn’t write again until 2017 when I wrote my nonfiction book. I have such great respect for fiction writers and I look forward to reading your stories!
I also had some amazing teachers who inspired my passion for science and music. It’s remarkable how one bad teacher can really steer you in a different direction in your life. Here’s to all of those fantastic teachers out there!
What a moving essay. I'm sorry to hear about Jack's death. He sounds wonderful.
What a great tribute to your teacher! I too, started out writing fiction and my English teacher quelled my passion by telling me I couldn’t name my characters what I wanted to name them and that my story wasn’t original enough. I wanted to name my main character, who was a dog, (surprise, surprise) Tucker and my teacher told me that would be a really bad idea because people would tease me and probably replace the T with an F. I change the name, but it took away my confidence in my own creativity. I have met so many dogs named Tucker and people named Tucker now I just laugh every time I hear it. I didn’t write again until 2017 when I wrote my nonfiction book. I have such great respect for fiction writers and I look forward to reading your stories!
I also had some amazing teachers who inspired my passion for science and music. It’s remarkable how one bad teacher can really steer you in a different direction in your life. Here’s to all of those fantastic teachers out there!