Happy Friday! It’s always a pleasure to host Nancy Nau Sullivan on my blog. She always has something to say. Moreover, she’s always an inspiration. Please welcome Nancy Nau Sullivan to Help From My Friends Friday. ~ Donnell
By Nancy Nau Sullivan
Author Nancy Nau Sullivan
Sometimes I think of Suze Orman when people ask me what I do. Suze says, Step up, say your name and what you do and do so proudly.
I usually hesitate because I’ve done a lot of things—journalist, teacher, and mainly, writer. First, as an assistant editor for a book publisher, then newspaper reporter and editor, and finally English teacher. Writing, editing, plotting. Now retired from the nine-to-five, I’ve found a way to continue to work and build the skill—and my travel fund. For me, it’s substitute teaching, a sort of complementary job, and I’m wondering how many writers out there are doing something similar to support the love of their life, writing and plotting.
Essentially, subbing not only contributes to my interests and but also to those of the students. It’s a team effort helping students with writing projects, explaining the strange land of “authorship,” hearing their stories about how they write. Listening, always listening, for “dialogue.” Elmore Leonard chose the bar stool for that. The classroom is a pretty good place to pick it up, too. (They talk about their mothers, a lot.) Their haircuts and clothes, their expressions (what I could determine behind the mask), the questions, their reactions to each other and to me make up a walking, talking lab for character development.
Recently, a third grader showed me four chapters of her “book” on her I-pad. The title: The Diary of a Zombie. A more unlikely topic for this student could not be imagined. She looks like a woodland fairy or sprite, with waist-length hair, and a tendency to dance instead of walk. She told me she likes to make stuff up, unreal stuff, but it has to have a message. From zombies? She whispered this message to me because she didn’t want her classmates to hear—until they read the book—“Don’t be selfish,” she said.
She’ll one day be a novelist if she keeps at it. A nine-year-old writing a fantasy with a universal message. It’s a start , and she doesn’t know she inspired another writer: me. Her eagerness was infectious.
My computer and I have found a kind of infectious inspiration in many places–drinking a martini in a Mexican bar, sitting on a train cross country, listening to people blab in the coffee shop. But the classroom puts me in a new zone, and I love nothing better than zoning out. On the block schedule, the classes are long (an hour and a half), and when one is a prep time, combined with the lunch, I occasionally have two hours of uninterrupted writing time. No procrastination. I can’t get up and mop the floor or take out the garbage (admin would probably frown on that). I’m in the chair, my laptop is on, and my brain is pretty much awake. I don’t have access to the internet at school, so I can’t dive into Facebook and Twitter. I have to write.
If I’m not writing, I’m reading. I read stories to the kids, K through fourth grade, and the writing in children’s books is superb. In an earth science class, I read up on rocks for a segment on a mystery set in Argentina. Odder things have happened on other days, but this was inspiring, and informative. In a high school English class recently, while the kids were on their computers, I picked up Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, which I’d been meaning to read for seven years. I was on page 100 when the bell rang at the end of the day.
Maybe this side gig thing isn’t so much on the side. It circles right back to talking about writing, developing writing, reading good stuff. Summer will be busy, but I’ll be glad to get back to the classroom come August.
What Reviewers are Saying:
TROUBLE DOWN MEXICO WAY BY NANCY NAU SULLIVAN, Light Messages Publishing, June 29 2021
From Foreword Reviews:
“The flavors, colors, and history of Mexico are a vibrant backdrop for Trouble Down Mexico Way, a funny, fish-out-of-water mystery novel.”
“Mexico City and its mysteries are bright and beautiful in Trouble Down Mexico Way, a spry mystery led by adventurous investigator Blanche Murninghan.”
About the Book: When Blanche “Bang” Murninghan visits an exhibit of ancient Mayan ruins in Mexico City, she sees that all is not ancient. One of the mummies has a pink hair clip embedded in its hay-like do, and the texture of the skin is not quite right. Blanche, a part-time journalist, digs for answers and soon learns of murder and art theft.
She and her cousin and traveling companion, Haasi Hakla, get tangled in the mystery of the mummy at the Palacio Nacional, thanks to a prescient elderly chilanga, an amiable overworked detective, and a cast of characters that include a stunning doctor of shady deeds, La Escandolera, and El Patron, the leader of a cartel bent on thievery at any cost.
They risk kidnapping and attempted murder to get at the truth….while Blanche has another of those excellent Mexican beers on the side and Haasi delights in one more taco al pastor.
I love what the youngster said about her book about zombies. So nice to meet you. vb
Vicki, I can’t imagine more inspiration than being influenced by children. Lucky instructor and lucky children. Nancy, thanks for joining me today.
Vicki and Donnell! Happy rainy Sunday…school’s out, but inspiration lives. All my little ones are reading a lot this summer. It will be fun to see them in the fall and discuss their latest works, zombies and all!!! All the best to you. Nancy