FOLLOWING A DESIRED PATH

Comic-book writer Dwayne McDuffie was a trailblazer in print and television, leaving an impressive path for others, creating TV series such as: “Justice League” and “Alien Force.”

Unfortunately, he’d died at 49. He also happened to be the first writer who sat down with me. 

 

I was terribly green, giddy, and practically sitting on the edge of my chair, eager to show off my poems and essays, most of which would be deemed cringe-worthy today! Still, I expected to leave feeling energized because I received the fuel I needed to pursue my literary dreams. Not so much. Mr. McDuffie was kind but not overly friendly. A straight-shooter, not mincing words. Before he left town, he asked to take some of my poems with him on the plane. I agreed.

 

After our meeting, I felt further dejected as a budding writer or in those days, a wannabe writer. I reeled in my emotions and mentally unpacked all that he had told me. What stood out was this advice: When you write something close to your heart, say it without euphemisms. Your readers will feel cheated and know that you danced around the subject.”

 

For the longest, I hid wanting to be a writer, claiming that I could still write in secret and that no matter how gag-worthy my work was, I enjoyed creating and telling stories. 

Fast-forward some years, I was able to apply Mr. McDuffie’s words and published my first essay in Essence Magazine.