Writers' Training Wheels

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The training wheels came off this weekend!  A major milestone in any family.  As I told them, "one of the harder things in life is learning how to ride a bike."

My son had already mastered the turns and had his taken off a month or two ago. It was my daughter that mastered it on Sunday.  That's because she's more cautious than he is ~ maybe because she's a girl, but also just because that's the way she is, more resistant, more in her head ruminating.  And to be fair, my husband and I are cautious people, and it's definitely rubbed off on them.  We have friends with kids who are always diving and running and getting scraped and bruised, but that's just not us.

Which made me think:  writers have training wheels too.  First it's reading, lots and lots of reading.  Oh how you revel in this!  Then it's imitating your favorite writers and you struggle to find your own voice.  When you do finally find that elusive "your voice" ~ that's when the training wheels come off.  That's when you're on your way, flying down the hill, brakes not necessary.

Here's to training wheels!