I was nominated by the fabulous and lovely Laura Collins (author of Eating with Your Anorexic)* for a writer's "Roar" award. The terms of the award are that




1) You have to identify three characteristics of writing you find to be most important and


2) Nominate five other writers.

I had the ability to teach a freshman writing course this past semester, a course in which I no doubt learned far more than I taught. Though I didn't actually like the experience of teaching, I am glad I had the opportunity. And because teaching begins with the ABCs, so does my writing criteria.

Authenticity. Mean what you say, and say what you mean. Your writing should communicate some aspect of who you are, of what you believe. I don't know how many things can fall, truly, under the category of The Truth. But speak Your Truth. That is the important thing. Many times, the only thing.

Bravery. It's easy to write about things that "everyone" knows, that "everyone" approves of. What is much harder is to talk about those things that you might otherwise keep in the dusty corners of your soul. This could mean speaking out on politics; it could also mean sharing parts of your life that might otherwise remain known just to yourself.

Content. Do you have something to say, or are you writing because you like to see words appear on a page? This was the hardest lesson to teach to my students, to help them understand that what they had to say was important. So what do you have to say? People can change others- it's the only thing that ever has.

And now, for my five authors. Some have blogs, some don't. And one doesn't even "write" in the traditional sense.

In no particular order:

• Jessica Hagy at Indexed. Her blog makes me laugh and look at the world in a different way. Though they're just index cards, they are writing nonetheless.


• Hungry for Hunger. He swears like a sailor, but he loves his wife and supports her fight against anorexia. Half the time I wind up shaking my head while I read, but this man expresses himself like no other person I have ever met. And his ability to torture a metaphor is rivaled only by my own.


• My classmates. Okay, fine, they don't read this blog, and probably will never know they've been nominated, but nonetheless. They teach me how to write, and they make me want to be a better writer. They're also a lot of fun.


• Jenni Schaefer, author of Life Without Ed. Not only is she passionate about helping people recover from eating disorders, she is a great person and a wonderful friend. Her gentle soul belies the fact that she can kick Ed's ass!


• The cul-de-sac. Because you guys rock.

*Laura- I found this shirt when I was looking up the link to your book on Amazon. I had to share it with you. And I'd totally wear one of these. With a gold fork neckace of course.