Hi, my name is Catherine Manning and I’m a wannabe writer. I first discovered this condition while walking through the aisles of a book store when I was 9 years old. Each book I passed washed over me in a cascade of colors. There were aquas and maroons and even some mint greens. These books satisfied something in me that was intangible given my struggle with reading and writing. I had a learning disability that prevented the very act of writing that I wanted to pursue so badly and yes, the irony was not lost on me. I decided instead to store these thoughts in my head like a collection of colorful strings tied together, but not tight enough, therefore, I lost ideas for stories and grew frustrated.

By middle school, I was able to read well enough to fully absorb the words being presented to me on paper. I could create pictures in my mind that lasted longer than the thoughts of before. This gave me a doorway into a world of unreal, but fantastic creatures and people with the ability to alter their life with the flick of a wand or the chant of a spell. They gave me life, hope and the courage to write. My first attempts were rough and cracked like the driveway of my childhood home, but slowly I learned and grew and changed.

Today, I consider myself to be to be an okay, maybe good, writer (still growing my confidence). I attend the University of Central Florida and I’m majoring in English, Creative Writing with minors in History and Education. These areas of study inspire me and force me to practice my writing. They also give me the opportunity to indulge in the possibility of becoming a teacher, which is something I never dreamed of being qualified enough to become before. It’s funny how the anxieties of the past shadow the accomplishments of today.They bring you back to confusion and doubt, but I now choose to live in light.

So once again I must say: Hi, my name is Catherine Manning and I’m a wannabe writer and maybe even a wannabe teacher, it’s really nice to meet you.