“A girl can dream, Eric,” responds protagonist Grace Zacharias during a mostly-whispered scene in a public library in my novel, My Life with Shelley. Grace’s colleague, fellow high school English teacher Eric Hagermeyer, has asked Grace if she thinks the book she’s writing (the fake memoir of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley) is publishable. A few minutes later, after sneaking a peek at her manuscript, Eric asks, “Was Mary Shelley really such a—pardon me—bitch? And such a ginormous snob?” Grace, whose left leg is in an immobilizer, and who will have surgery the next day, doesn’t take Eric’s constructive criticism well.
Whether My Life with Shelley will ever be in print is unknown, but, like Grace, I dream, especially in bookstores, especially when traveling. Something about being in the famous Strand
(“Eighteen Miles of Books”) in New York, or an airport book shop branch such as The Tattered Cover in Denver or Barbara’s Bookstore in O’Hare, re-stimulates the wannabe in me, and I browse my way to the area where my novel might be shelved if one of the editors currently considering it jumps on it.
Now that my book is agented, and since I always carry a Sharpie and sticky-notes in my purse, these days I perform a little ritual that feeds my ambition while harming no one. I glance around the store to make sure no employee is nearby and casually remove my office supplies from my bag. I print neatly, affix my message, check my surroundings again, and slip away.
Sharon Ledbetter
LOL Marianne. Dreaming is the spice of life. It moves us forward. It keeps us grounded. You dream, girl! As for me……I am checking the book shelves.
marianne elliott
Right on! And, Write on! Will look for your sticky notes, and then your book, in my travels.
Janie
Keep on believing and dreaming. Your words sound delicious and I’d love to read the entire book. It’s just very hard to be patient. So we will keep on dreaming with you and look forward to the day when you can write: it’s going to print. 😀
Brian Downes
Dreams are what makes the world go ’round.
Karen Johnson
LOL! I love that you have a mischievous side! I’ll be watching for your notes.
en
Tantalizing. Waiting for my copy.