Her Favorite Fan
For the most part, Jerusha didn't like it when people read over her shoulder.
Oh, sure, she tolerated it but she didn't like it. She could understand when necessity required it, but she couldn't enjoy the feeling of eyes scrutinizing her works as they happened.
But for her favorite fan, she didn't mind.
Jerusha's sister, Ann, was one of the few- nay, the Only- person given leave to read as Jerusha wrote. Why this started and how it became accepted, Jerusha knew not, but her sister enjoyed it, and often was helpful, so she was given exclusive rights to read what the world had not yet seen.
Then the day came when Jerusha turned Ann loose with her writings, permission granted that she could read (and perhaps spell check) the efforts of many evenings spent straining her eyes at a computer screen. Ann was giddy and carefully censored any words that might even slightly be thought of as criticism of her older sister's writings. Thus how she won over Jerusha to be allowed to give input
Oh, not that Jerusha wanted Ann to never say a hard word about what Ann read. Quite the opposite. Jerusha often critiqued her own writings and Ann would offer suggestions as to how the book could be improved (not that she really believed it could).
But by many nights spent working on the books together, Ann earned the title of Jerusha's favorite fan.
Well, perhaps her only fan, admittedly, since no one else had ever even read Jerusha's work.
But her favorite, nonetheless.
And so the nightly conversations would go as follows:
"Jerusha, this is spelled wrong."
"Fix it then."
"What does Robert look like? You didn't describe him."
"Tall. Dark hair. Serious. Like Great Grandpa."
"Yeah, that's not how I picture him. Sorry. He looks like...." *here a lengthy description was given.*
"Did you mean shuffling of feet, Jerusha?"
"Did I... yeah, I think I did."
"I'll fix it. Also... I'm pretty sure you have some extra words. Right here. Annnnnd right there."
Jerusha would here fix the offending sentence and all would be well again.
At first glance, it would seem the sisters were only enjoying the book, editing and correcting and rewriting endlessly. They did.
But more than that, one author got to spend extra time with her favorite fan, and that was the best reward she could ask for after so many hours spent writing.
The world might never know Jerusha's name, and her books might never make the best selling list, but if her favorite fan was happy, then so was she.
Oh, sure, she tolerated it but she didn't like it. She could understand when necessity required it, but she couldn't enjoy the feeling of eyes scrutinizing her works as they happened.
But for her favorite fan, she didn't mind.
Jerusha's sister, Ann, was one of the few- nay, the Only- person given leave to read as Jerusha wrote. Why this started and how it became accepted, Jerusha knew not, but her sister enjoyed it, and often was helpful, so she was given exclusive rights to read what the world had not yet seen.
Then the day came when Jerusha turned Ann loose with her writings, permission granted that she could read (and perhaps spell check) the efforts of many evenings spent straining her eyes at a computer screen. Ann was giddy and carefully censored any words that might even slightly be thought of as criticism of her older sister's writings. Thus how she won over Jerusha to be allowed to give input
Oh, not that Jerusha wanted Ann to never say a hard word about what Ann read. Quite the opposite. Jerusha often critiqued her own writings and Ann would offer suggestions as to how the book could be improved (not that she really believed it could).
But by many nights spent working on the books together, Ann earned the title of Jerusha's favorite fan.
Well, perhaps her only fan, admittedly, since no one else had ever even read Jerusha's work.
But her favorite, nonetheless.
And so the nightly conversations would go as follows:
"Jerusha, this is spelled wrong."
"Fix it then."
"What does Robert look like? You didn't describe him."
"Tall. Dark hair. Serious. Like Great Grandpa."
"Yeah, that's not how I picture him. Sorry. He looks like...." *here a lengthy description was given.*
"Did you mean shuffling of feet, Jerusha?"
"Did I... yeah, I think I did."
"I'll fix it. Also... I'm pretty sure you have some extra words. Right here. Annnnnd right there."
Jerusha would here fix the offending sentence and all would be well again.
At first glance, it would seem the sisters were only enjoying the book, editing and correcting and rewriting endlessly. They did.
But more than that, one author got to spend extra time with her favorite fan, and that was the best reward she could ask for after so many hours spent writing.
The world might never know Jerusha's name, and her books might never make the best selling list, but if her favorite fan was happy, then so was she.
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