Simply A Storyteller

Since signing up on Twitter I have found myself availed of more information than I ever imagined possible. More and more I discover how much there is to learn about the business of writing and publishing. I realize also how quickly it changes with the times and, though I will never learn it all, I will continue acquiring as much knowledge as I possibly can, wherever I can.

One of the issues that continually crops up is the importance of creating a brand and I understand the necessity of making oneself visible and recognizable. However, as someone who has just recently been able to utter the words “Yes, I am a writer”, I find myself slightly intimidated by the task of creating a tagline to define my identity. Who am I, and how would I like to be perceived?

Firstly, I am a wife and mother. I have spent most of my adult life working as, what in my day was known as, a secretary, making a few side trips as a bank teller, fire department dispatcher, landscaper and bookkeeper. Through the years, I have often seen resumes embellished to the point where I am sure the applicants own mother would be unable to recognize them. We are all quite capable of doing the same thing and is that not, in part, what branding is all about? Stretching a canvas on which an appealing and enticing picture can be painted.

What I know is, I like who I am, and those whom are most important in my life seem to like who I am as well. No matter what success or recognition I am able to achieve that will not change. So really the question I need to ask myself is, “As a writer, who am I and how would I like to be perceived?”

That answer for me is a simple one. I am a storyteller. It is what I have enjoyed doing since I was a child. Sometimes with a story, other times a poem. Through all the good, bad, and ugly writing my intentions have varied. Often the end result was for the entertainment of others, but mostly it has been a means of expressing, or venting my emotions. Years of pages tucked away in a drawer for my eyes only. Unfinished pieces, scattered thoughts, and occasionally a piece presented as a gift to others. Then through a strange and unexpected circumstance the Stibil Forest blossomed to life and the need to be noticed has grown.

I have no idea where this path will lead, but I intend to enjoy the walk, scaling each hill I encounter. I will therefore attempt to create and rework my brand as necessary, hopefully introducing myself to each new situation with openness and honesty.

“Hello, my name is Cheryl Schenk and I am, quite simply, a storyteller.”

Cheryl is the author of Little Synni’s Moonlight Mischief, the first book in The Stibil Forest Adventures, illustrations by Chris Jammer. The Stibil Forest

FEEL THE FEAR, then believe in yourself.

It is fear that makes us cautious and teaches us respect for the unknown. Fear compels us to ask questions, enabling us to make wise choices. Even in the most benign situations it is advisable to address our fears. Then, it is up to each of us to conquer or safely remove the fears standing in our path and move forward.

That was the situation I found myself in last fall. Following a classroom reading, the teacher ended our session by thanking us for reading our story and answering the children's questions about writing, illustrating, and publishing our storybook. He expressed his opinion that it was a very good tale, and we were sure to do well with it. One of the young boys from our audience piped up saying "You are going to be bigger than Dr. Seuss". As pleased as I was by his impression of our book, I instantly felt like an impostor and fear engulfed me.

In the months that followed I would repeat that story to others, always with a tag-line such as, "Wouldn't that be nice?" or "If only", each time making a joke of it. What else could I do? My fear was that someone might think that I actually believed I was as talented as Dr. Seuss. I feared that someone would come forward stating that, though the illustrations for the book were excellent, the writing was sadly lacking.

One of the hardest things for me to believe is that I am a writer. How can anybody place themselves in such a category when it encompasses the likes of Hemingway, Michener, Atwood, and Picoult? Who was I to believe I had earned this title. However, the definition of a writer according to Oxford is: 1. a person who writes or has written something; one who writes in a specified way. 2. a person who writes books etc., an author.

I am now in my fifties and, though I have had very little formal training, I have been writing since I was eleven years old. I have to believe that makes me a writer. Whether or not I am a worthy writer will be for my editors and readers to decide, and I realize there will always be differing opinions of that status.

What I know today is that I am very proud of the work we have done and of the book we produced. I know that I have learned a lot in the past two years and I believe I have much more to learn. Do I believe I am the next Dr. Seuss? Not at all, but it warms my heart and encourages me to know there is a little boy out there who, for a moment in time, believed just that.

Cheryl is the author of Little Synni's Moonlight Mischief, the first book in The Stibil Forest Adventures, illustrations by Chris Jammer.
The Stibil Forest Adventures