The Beginning

As much as I love writing essays, I hate writing the introductions. I just sit there glaring at Microsoft Word waiting for the words to appear. In my mind, those first words can destroy an entire paper. So, instead of moving straight to the middle, I sit for hours paralyzed with fear until something creative comes.  Not just something creative either---something perfect. Sitting here as a 3-day-old college graduate, I realize that how I write my papers is exactly how I write the chapters of my life. I’m sitting here waiting for my perfect beginning. I have tons of questions about where to go from here and how to start. I'm not sure when I'll find the answers, but I have a sneaking suspicion that my answer will come as it has so many times before---from a book.

It’s the best English major secret ever kept, and my goal is to share it with all of you through this blog. The secret won’t mean a lot to you until you’ve seen it in action, so I’ll tell you now if you promise to keep reading. Ready? *in a whisper voice* Every question you ever asked has already been answered…in a book. Obviously, I’m not talking about one book. I’m talking about all of them. Sometimes, if you’re really lucky, you’ll find several answers in one book. And if you’re reading this you’re really, really lucky because I’m going to do the work for you! I’ll pick a different book/question combination each week and prove to you the success of lit therapy or “word therapy” as my friend Mary Locke calls it. The best therapy ever: free, fun, and can be done from the comfort of your own couch (not across from a shrink with a quizzical brow and a notepad).  

Special thanks to Dr. Cluff for reminding me of the truth of this idea and to Mary Locke for being my fairy godmother and blog design expert (Yay for pretty blogs!). She’ll also be a contributing writer, so this won’t be the last you hear about her!

By the way, feel free to write in questions or recommend books or share your own experiences. I certainly do not have the corner on lit therapy.