Why I Write

In fourth grade, I wrote a Halloween play. It was about an evil witch, trying to kidnap a pumpkin named Tony. Tony was a wise pumpkin who encouraged everyone to do good things. The evil witch didn’t like that about Tony. She kidnapped him and planned to turn him into pumpkin pie. However, the more time she spent with Tony, the more she wanted to be like him. He overpowered the evil witch with kindness. In the end, she did not carry out her plan to turn Tony into a pumpkin pie. Instead, she changed her evil ways and became a beautiful, loving, good witch. 

Two of my friends - Paula and Tammy - and I made puppets and "produced" Tony the Pumpkin. After doing the show for our class, our teacher - Mrs. Bryant - asked us if we'd do the show again, only this time as an "opening" act for a real puppeteer who was coming to our school. We did "open" for him, and on the bus ride home after school that day, my friend Brian - a second grader - said to me, "Your show was pretty good, but the other guy was better." 😁 That was one of my favorite experiences as a child. 

Almost 23 years ago, that experience took on a new meaning when my daughter Jordan was in first grade. She had written a story and given it to her teacher. The next day, when I picked her up at school, she said, "Mommy, today was the best day of my life! Ms. Seguin liked my story so much that she let me pick something from her prize box! She said that I'm the first student ever to pick something from her prize box!" I knew exactly how she felt because memories of Mrs. Bryant calling my mom, making a big deal about Tony the Pumpkin, and asking me if we'd put the show on for a second time was like picking something from a prize box. Ms. Seguin believed in Jordan's writing. Mrs. Bryant believed in mine. Remembering how I felt knowing my teacher believed in me inspired me to start writing again. At first, I was just writing for my enjoyment, but in the last decade, some of my writing has been published and some of my plays have been produced.

Most of you reading this are teachers. You are someone's Mrs. Bryant. You are someone's Ms. Seguin. I hope that you can find a script on my website or suggest one I could write that we can put in your "prize box" for your students. 

Thank you for all that you do! I also appreciate your taking the time to check out my website. 

Best Wishes!

Sandy Maranto