I've written since I could scribble ”no" on my mother's immaculate kitchen wall. I've never stopped writing--a few pages here, an entire story there--but for the majority of my adult life, writing couldn't be a priority. I raised a family and taught, something I did well (for what it's worth, in 2006 I was in Who's Who Among America's Teachers). In 2010, the moment to write full time arrived. I exchanged classroom for a tiny, poorly lit storage room destined to become a darkroom. I dragged boxes of STUFF to the garage, rolled in a desk and creaky office chair, and settled into a space with a window that natural light couldn't seem to find. Determined to become a Real Writer.