How Author Cynthia Bond Learned That Writing Was Her True Calling

Author Cynthia Bond seemed to be on the path to becoming a writer when she won a journalism scholarship to Northwestern University. Then, she says, in an act of rebellion, she moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting. She went on to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and later performed with the prestigious Negro Ensemble Company.

Still, she says, something didn't feel right. "I never was completely comfortable as an actress," she says. "Before I would have a performance, I would literally just get sick."

Cynthia says she felt like she had to stick with acting because it had been her dream—until she realized the path she was meant for had been there all along. "I've always been a writer," she says in the video above. "Even when I was preparing for a character, I would write an entire essay about them. Like a little short story."

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