Carolyn Reeder Tells How She Became a Writer
From the time I learned to read, I always had my nose stuck in a book. But it was many years before
I discovered that writing can bring just as much pleasure as reading.
I never planned to be a writer, even though I worked on school newspapers from junior high all the
way through college. From the summer I was twelve, and taught a neighborhood child to read --
he had never learned, even though he was almost nine -- I knew I'd be a teacher.
After a few years, my husband's work allowed him little time for writing, but I had more time since our
children were older and were becoming independent. So I decided to try my hand at fiction and
write for young people because I knew that kids love a good story.
At first, I wrote only during school vacations, but before long, I began to write during the
school year, too. Writing became more and more important to me until finally I decided to
give up teaching and be a full-time author. It's wonderful to have all the time I need to
research and write my historical novels and still have time to do the other things I enjoy.
When I'm not at the library or in front of a computer, I like to bicycle, hike, play table tennis, swim, visit with friends, and see plays. And, of course, I like to read.
For a while, teaching and family life filled my time. But then my husband and I began to work together
in the evenings, writing non-fiction books for adults while our children did their homework.
(We wrote about Shenandoah National Park, our favorite place to hike and camp.)