When was the moment you first believed you were a writer?
My friends over at Write It, Girl, asked me that this week.
I’ll share my answer if you’ll think about it and then come back and share yours too. I’m super curious.
When was the moment you first believed you were a writer?
I never thought I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be a human rights lawyer. And then one day at the end of a conference the only female presenter in a sea of men asked me if I had kids. She kept hearing from others that she couldn’t manage kids with the cross-continental work she was doing. And surrounded by people who wanted to talk to her about human rights I got to encourage her about how I balance the calling of motherhood with my other work.
That night I emailed my friend Holley Gerth:
‘So, I have been thinking about you today because I am at a conference discussing some groundbreaking work to bring justice to the poor and afflicted. For many years that is the kind of work I have been involved in also. But, I have consistently felt this call on my heart to speak into the lives of women. Young mothers and wives who feel that what they do isn’t important.
I don’t know many who would consider that a needy population group. But I sure do. I am them.
So, I blog. I write my heart out to this beautiful audience who need to be encouraged as I wish someone had done for me. Because young mothers and struggling women have great needs too. And while it’s not my job, it is my delight to be used by God to be part of the plan for meeting them.’
That was three years ago this coming New Year and the first time I truly believed I was a writer. Being able to encourage women at The Gypsy Mama and now also as my full time job at (in)courage – to share the good, the bad, the sacred, and the beautiful about womanhood – it’s been the most fulfilling writing experience of my life.
OK, your turn.
When did you start to believe you were a writer?
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I always wanted to be a writer when I was little. I have several “Chapter 1” ‘s of novels to prove it. I still don’t claim to be a writer. I am a rambler…That is what I do: I ramble about the things that matter to me and pretend I am writing. BUT…The other day I felt like a writer when my 10 year old son told me, and I quote: “writing is your thing.” (I homeschool him and this happened when we were studying poetry and just writing to write. It made me happy. :) ) It is my thing. Does that mean I am good at it? Not so much. But I love it. I love to write it just like I would say it. Forget proper punctuation…that is me pausing. People that don’t know me probably don’t get it. My cousin sent me some survey on Facebook (back a couple of years ago when I thought I might like Facebook…I don’t. I am too much of a rambler for it) and I filled it out and sent it back to her. She emailed me and said “I felt like I was sitting in the room and you were saying it to me!” I felt like a writer that day because that is how I write and she got it. :) I just remembered something! I think the very first time I felt like a writer was when I was…I think 9…Maybe not, but around 9. It was Veterans Day and my dad is a Veteran. I wanted to give him a gift so I thought I would write him a poem about Vietnam. I wrote what popped into my head about it and gave it to him. He cried. The only other time I say my Dad cry about Vietnam..or maybe anything…was when we visited the Vietnam Memorial and he found out a couple of buddies of his he thought had died, hadn’t. Then he shared it with a friend of his who was also a Vietnam Vet and the man asked if I would mind if he put it up on the wall in a frame at his restaurant. That was the first time I really felt like a writer…But really I am just a rambler, but I am sure you can see that by how long this has become!!! Sorry…Thank you for making me think. :) I love your blog by the way.
I agree, always, more of a rambler, I have a few ch 1’s, I do admire proper punctuation but I don’t know it.. lol Only recently I have seen several things come my way that say to me, You are a writer. I think I am slowly headed that way.. I can see God leading me.. s l o w l y.. :)
“I don’t know many who would consider that a needy population group. But I sure do. I am them.” You got me here. I am one of them, too. Thank you for writing. Thank you for being you.
pretty sure I am not a writer…so it is a strange place to be in this blog world…prompted by God…and encouraged by my husband…I attempt to put what is in my heart out for others… and I was one of them…but I am older…and I too want to cheer younger mom’s on…maybe they can glean from my mistakes….
you do a great job here…
Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving…
http://tuningmyhearttopraise.blogspot.com/
I began writing in journals. I used to start journals on January 1 and they always had unfilled pages in them until 1993. I remember committing to write and giving myself grace to miss days now. There was freedom in that that filled the pages. My two little ones were 3 and 5. That was one of the most difficult years in my life—drama in friendships, the loss of my mentors, my mother-in-law at age 58 to lymphoma and my dear Grandma who modeled the Christ-life for me to colon cancer. There were other things as well—all of it in that journal–the blue one with the Monet picture on the front. The Lord has taken that journal, hidden it from me. We have moved three times and I have searched and searched for it. But He doesn’t want me to read those words, those prayers. That was the year I became a writer. Only heaven knows the depth that journal holds. I think God has chosen to never let me read it. I have come to understand it isn’t about the reading—that it is about the writing. Though I am curious all these years later I trust God with those words and I keep writing—still trusting him with the words. Now I am dipping in my big toe into the big sea of blogs to see if my words might bring the hope. Some will read but for me it is really about the writing. Maybe it will continue to be on my blog, maybe not. Either way, I am a writer.
… when I realised people that I wrote letters to were actually waiting for them. They weren’t just reading them because they arrived (and thankfully not tossing them without opening them). Apparently I have a natural ability, but for the life of me I swear that’s more true of my day-dreaming skills.
I’ve always written, ever since I could hold a pencil. I have the teddy bear poems and atrocious short stories to prove it! Even when I was a young mom with one little boy, I wrote often, but it was just something I did, the way people have a habit of replacing the toilet paper roll up / down, not anything meant to be productive. This fall, God led me to take a writing course in the evening at the local community college, and I’ve realized that I have a talent to develop for His glory. For the first time, ever, I’m considering myself a writer. Like, who might make into publication someday, and – gasp! – maybe make some money. *grin*
hmmm. still not sure i’d call myself a “writer.” except that i love to write.
for me, it started at age 6, when i handed my mom this poem:
roses are red,
violets are blue,
God loves you,
and i do, too.
original, eh? but that was the beginning, and i can’t ever remember a time i haven’t loved picking up a pen and scribbling out my thoughts with a mad fury. words are like a wonderful puzzle, and i love seeing all the different ways i can put them together. sometimes they fit just right, others not so much. but the finding out is what is so. incredibly. fun!
i went a lot of years as a young mom not writing. i was too exhausted. i wish i had known there was this world here where i could have gained encouragement along the way, put my thoughts into words, shared what i was going through. my four kiddos are middle schoolers and teenagers now, and blogging has 1)given me new enthusiasm for life, and 2)infused new life into my relationship with my teen girls. they love helping inspire me (smiles), and i’m hoping to include them more and more in the writing process as they continue to grow and mature.
anyway, all that to say, i love your space here, your voice, and how you speak into the lives of women. thank you, sincerely, for answering the call God put on your heart!
have a wonderful thanksgiving,
steph
it’s interesting my first reaction to this was “oh, well…I wouldn’t call myself a WRITER…” then looking through the comments above, I find I am not the only one that feels uncomfortable terming themselves this way. For me, its because it feels presumptiuous for myself, yet when others say they are I totally agree with them! I have been a writer all my life {there, I said it!} Fact is, I may not be the most captivating writer, or the “next big thing”, but my heart speaks when I write. My soul processes in written word. Therefore, I am a writer.
I am trying to live by the truth that Madeleine L”Engle speaks in her book “Circle of Quiet”. That we are called to only speak our truth. Not what is the truth of others, or to please others, or to find favor with them. – So, I speak my truth. The beauty in the common place, the every day….the wonder of it all.
Love hearing bits of your story and you definitely are a writer =)
For me…I don’t know. I think it’s been a step forward two steps back. I remember thinking in 7th grade that I was a writer when I turned in a 70 something page “book” for a fiction assignment–can we say overachiever? =) Then came the onslaught of life and while I still wrote and always have written things it got tucked away. Then little triumphs here and there would make me think maybe I am and then it’d be back to the twenty steps back to where I’m not. I don’t know where I’m at today and haven’t really fully analyzed it. I write and that’s that.
I have always wanted to be a writer but I still don’t consider myself one. I write on my blog to encourage others and as therapy for me. I love to write
It was in 1st grade, a time when children are just learning to put pencil to paper. My 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Crider had us cut a picture out of a magazine and paste it in a notebook at the beginning of each day. We were then instructed to write a few sentences about the picture. On one particular day I brought my notebook forward for beautiful, stylish (each day she wore a different wood necklace with cut outs of school children, school bells, or seasonal characters) Mrs. Crider to check. She read over my piece then looked me straight in the eye and said, “Your a good writer Sarah.” That was all I needed. The rest of my childhood was filled with journals and fiction stories. My adolescence with articles for our school paper and more and more journals. I took a long break in college and early marriage but am now finding my way back to pen and paper, writing devotionals and submitting magazine articles. As I tell my husband – it’s what I’ve always done and it’s what I will always do – write….
I slowly began to believe I was a writer when my blog first began and shared words that the Lord had laid upon my heart were put into form and story, then when the first blog book came to my door in print and with my name in it and a picture. The words flowed and it seemed like a gift was forming within the dream or perhaps the calling? Then when others affirmed and challenged and encouraged my ‘words on paper’ it was becoming more true, that a gift was given birth and I was just the instrument listening as God lead the writing. It is a hard concept to think of as a writer or even speaker but others have told me, you will do great. So I must believe in the process.
I’m not always comfortable claiming the “writer” title. Partly because I haven’t been writing much. Partly because by acknowledging that is an important part of me and one of the gifts I’ve been given, I feel a responsibility to use it and grow in it, which is not something I’ve been able to do much right now as full-time working out of the home mama to a little guy.
Actually, I blogged about that tension a few weeks ago… http://www.raesdaze.com/2011/11/when-the-time-is-write/
Great question, and even after self-publishing a book and now having a contract with a publisher for another one currently in progress, I still struggle with calling myself a writer. It’s probably because I don’t have all the formal education and experience that most real writers have. But people tell me that I should feel comfortable calling myself a writer… maybe one day I will.
I write all of the time. I just finished nanowrimo (well, got to the 50,000 words lol). I have 2 blogs. But I don’t ‘feel’ like a writer. I think if someone/people asked for me to write for them, then I would feel like it more. I don’t know….
Kelly
For me it is a still a rosy colored dream Lisa-Jo. I love words and want to use them well. I don’t know that I truly believe I am a writer…still I pursue it.
When I was in high school, before I knew the Lord, I would have described myself as a poet.
But when God took away my depressive swinging emotions, he also took the need for the catharsis that the writing of the poetry was.
It wasn’t until I started hearing from God in such personal ways, and yearned to share it with people that I began to write with a purpose… and began to think of my writing as more than just . . . a hobby.
And it wasn’t until He whispered to my heart that He wants me to write a book that I began to take myself as one who WRITES, a Writer, seriously.
I have had so many other titles, and still do, that writer may never be the first one that I think of.
And that’s okay. :)
Well, for me its been a journey which began when I wrote in the political arena as a Legislative Analyst and Policy Director for a mayoral campaign. I began writing devotion to encourage friends in 2008. I knew God was calling me to encourage and empower women through my writing. I finished my first book of devotion this year. I working on my second. Also, I writing a book and bible study that stemmed from one devotion. From there God led me to expand the devotion and teach it to survivors of domestic violence in a local shelter. And from there I was led to expand the study and teach eight woman last year. And the book and bible study are in progress.
I too am grateful to be used by God to impact His Kingdom.
i wrote in journals from about the age of six. scribbled things, just me putting myself onto the page. and then i grew older and started writing books. and then i began to blog. all this time, i never considered myself a writer. i’m not sure when that moment happened: the second that i sat and gazed at the page and thought, “wow, yes, i am a writer.”
i think it just happened. i think God had been slowly transforming me, twisting my shapeless lump of a heart into something beautiful. and so now i write, somehow. by His glory alone.
first week of grade one… first week ever away from home…. first time ever to discover that letters put together made words.
I went home that day and wrote. I filled a whole page of letters trailing letters that told the story of my life and then I read it to my family; I laughed and giggled and bounced with joy as I read it to them. They were astounded and wanted to see all that I had written. I could not have read the story a second time nor could anyone else decipher it but it didn’t matter because my heart had discovered the written word and a way to share the joy God wraps in the heart of a little one!
Thank you so much for being part of Write It, Girl this week! You are all kinds of awesome!!
Still can’t wrap my mind around the idea of being a writer. Also do I have to choose one thing, one title? I’m not good at that. I disliked multiple choice tests because they felt exclusive. I want to be able to choose more than one! (Can you tell I totally get slivers of each kind of pie at Thanksgiving??)
Thanks for introducing me to the Write It, Girl series. Love a new place to explore.
I’m in the league of writers who write to wring the fullest joy out of life and harbor the sweetest memories for a little while longer, and hopefully for posterity’s sake too. I’ve kept a journal since my teen years and found that in the outpouring of my thoughts, I digest life more fully. Now as a blogger I keep my journal online to share with others what God is showing me still in the daily grind and joys of life and am still amazed that what God is faithful to whisper to me can be used to encourage others!
Hm…not sure I can claim it yet. It’s something I’ve always wanted to be and it’s something I do, but something keeps me from being able to claim it. I just have this urge to share what I learn and the experiences that come through my life in hopes that it will encourage others…
A journal writer as a kid…”creative writing” lover in English class…the one who appreciated essay tests…I just knew I was a writer, and so I delved into some communications and PR business after college.
And then, Fear sucked the wind out of me and a critical eye of a boss insinuated that I wasn’t *good enough* and needed more work. Everything my high school English teacher said about my writing and the grades I had to support her comments, they were suddenly dismissed and I started to think the school I attended and graduated from (and where I would now raise my children) wasn’t *good enough*.
Writing has followed me, though. And Encouragement has stifled Fear.
The answer: forever, I think. I’ve just always known in my gut.
I always knew I was a writer, but only in my heart. Writing is so core to who I am that it’s an area of deep vulnerability. I was reluctant to lay my heart open, knowing that, in doing so, I give others the tools to wound me.
I started admitting aloud that I’m a writer when I disciplined myself to do it every day… and to put it out there online. I still feel afraid with every post, which surprises people since I’m generally a humorist. But every post is a choice to live life with courage and to not be ruled by fear.
I first believed I was a writer at age 9.
My grandparents used to babysit my brother and I while our parents were working.
One day, my grandpa created a “tell a story” game in which we all would take turns creating a story from scratch, impromptu! When it was my turn, I told the story of two sisters who learned life lessons through a terrible incident but it had a happy ending!
After going home that evening, I realized that I wanted to write out my story. So I went to the family computer and started typing. Over the summer, I turned my story into a book- did page layout and illustrations at the turn of every story page!
It was then that I realized writing was not only a new hobby, it is a lifetime love. :)
It was September 6, 2010. (At least, that’s the date of the post in which I wrote about my revelation that I am a writer.) (http://thescienceofmusic.blogspot.com/2010/09/unexpected-encouragement.html)
Sometimes I have trouble believing it. Especially lately as I have not written much. I haven’t yet found the balance between homemaking duties and writing. The home has won out over the past several months. I guess as long as the desire is there, and as long as I’m composing in my head, I can still call myself a writer.
When did I first know I was a writer? It really hasn’t been very long. When I first started writing on a blog a few years ago, I didn’t tell anyone! I just started writing. Then I started commenting on other blogs and linking to my blog. Pretty soon, people were reading what I had to say. I was astounded! Not only did they read it, some even found what I wrote helpful.
Honestly, I’m not certain I am a writer. But I do this a lot…and love it! I’ve been working hard at it. It really doesn’t come naturally in some ways. Brevity is definitely NOT my gift. Some days, it is difficult for me to get to my point. And I waste words, a lot of them! But I THINK I’m a writer even at that.
The more I talk to people who are writers, good writers, the more I find they struggle with feelings of inadequacy, not measuring up, not being as good at their craft as they would like. I’m hoping those are hopeful traits. Meanwhile, I’ll keep writing. I’d like to be able to make some money doing this but doubt that a book is in my future. That is beyond anything I could even imagine!
I think I’ve always believed I was a writer…but I haven’t always believed that I had anything worthwhile to write.
As a child, I wrote poems. As a teen, love songs. As an adult, stories and many more songs. Family and friends who read what I’d written always praised the work, and encouraged me to pursue a career in writing.
But I never enjoyed writing. I loved having written the story/poem/music – but didn’t love the actual process of writing.
Until I started writing about faith. About God. Jesus. That-which-is-most-important. This – this I love to write about!
So when did I first believe I was a “writer”? I think, perhaps, the third grade?
When did I finally find something worthwhile to write about? I think, perhaps, thirty years later?
While I always knew I could write, I didn’t acknowledge it for myself until this past summer. I enjoy writing and have a God-given talent for it. Growing up, my teachers always complimented my writing abilities. Friends & family approach me for help with all sorts of editing jobs. Yet, no one actually called me a “writer”. So, I didn’t think I was one.
In August, I read a fantastic article and took the leap of faith and labelled myself “writer”. As a doer of writing, I realized that I am a writer. I didn’t need to wait for some big (or small) discovery. I couldn’t keep waiting for someone else to notice for me what I needed to acknowledge for myself. Once I accepted the name “writer”, I dedicated my talents to God and asked for His blessing and His appointments.
Since then, my blogging has improved greatly. As a bonus, I’ve gotten some excellent and most encouraging feedback from complete strangers. I also had an article published on (in)courage.
The fun hasn’t stopped since.
Being a writer is something that has made up my day dreams since I was 9 years old. I had the opportunity to live an extraordinary childhood and in my 9th year 3 different people in different contexts suggested I write out my life’s story to that point. I, unfortunately, never did this but it birthed a desire in me which has come to fruition in a variety of forms and most recently my blog which I began 1 month ago.
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Writer? More of a rambler, but like so many others that have already shared, I guess that could be part of being a writer. I don’t take much time for it and forced myself to take the time to participate in ’30 days of…’ and found it so very enjoyable and loved every stolen minute.
I guess that qualifies me to be a writer. Though there really aren’t qualifications so much as a passion. I’ve loved capturing the words in my head for something like always. In high school I took a college preposition and literature class. I loved it. Loved learning how to write. It’s still something I reflect on and yes I do drag out the folder of stories and essays to reread.
Oh, its so nice to be here. Thanx for reminding me of what I am. :0)
Wow, I just scrolled through the comments and it’s astounding how many people dismiss themselves or don’t feel worthy to use the name of “writer.” Why not? What is it about that name, that designation, that makes people so uncomfortable? Are we just downplaying our abilities, or is it something deeper? Might be fodder for a follow-up post, Lisa-Jo. :)
I started writing poetry in elementary school and was head over heels in love with writing by college. Unfortunately, while there one of my professors said something that knocked me sideways: He said that if you wrote something every single day, you were a writer. If you didn’t, you weren’t.
What?
I don’t understand his logic even today, but I do know it made me doubt myself for years afterward. Now, after several years of professional writing I can hold the title of “writer” more confidently. I’m also kind of sad that it took so much external validation to reach this point. I’m hoping that one day I can embrace the title “author” with as much confidence.
people have always told me i write well…
my husband says that giving me time to write is more affordable than paying for therapy! :-) and writing is most definitely therapeutic for me.
i write regularly as a part of our ministry, communicating with our many ministry partners; i love that part of our ministry – it energizes me. i’ve also spent time writing “professionally” – developing radio scripts for dramatic bible/gospel presentations. i was recently asked to lead a seminar for local writers on that very topic… i was surprised, but thoroughly enjoyed that experience. so i now know that i love to teach others how to write well.
i love words: their histories, their use, the powerful images well-used words can create.
i’d rather chat on line via typing… than phone call or voice/video chat.
i’m more confident and more comfortable with my thoughts expressed on paper… maybe because i think best with my fingers.
i learn best by writing – and now that i’m working on learning a third language, trying to express thoughts on paper is the fastest way for me to expand vocabulary, establish grammatical structures in my mind and gain confidence with the language.
i love letters and emails – both writing and receiving them. checking my mailbox is the first thing i do each morning.
but i think the first time i first suspected i might be a writer was some 20 odd years ago. i was different from my friends. i remember thinking, as i was completing and sending off applications for college, that I enjoyed the different “essay questions” on those applications. I even completed some of that paperwork, not because I was seriously considering the school, but because I liked the questions they asked and wanted the challenge of answering them well.
today, my 16 year old boy brings me his writing assignments after he’s spent fastidious hours crafting words – and we thoroughly enjoy editing/evaluating what he had produced and strategizing what he could do to make it even better. i love the fact that he has clear ideas of what he wants and feels confident enough to express that to me, to say that my idea isn’t what he was after. but i also see his passion for using written words effectively as a tool to share God’s love and His message, to help lives change for the better. and i see a bit of myself reflected in him. i think he’s a writer, too.
I never wanted to be a writer. I’ve never had any desire nor am I eloquent or poetic. Then, just less than a year ago I began to blog. And people read what I wrote. I don’t have a way with words but I have stories and a heart for God and for people. My son says that when my stories run out then no one will read my blog. That is alright as it belongs to God. In the meantime,I recall stories of my life here and globally, and I pray that God touches just one heart and opens their eyes to the glory of God and to the needs of his people.
Since I was a kid I enjoyed writing. I remember writing a play at a family gathering that I made everyone act out. I was never consistent at all. In fact, as a young person, I was the typical rebellious PK so writing was the last thing on my mind. But every so often I would find myself writing. Even before I committed my life to the Lord at age 20, people told me that I would write a book one day. As the years have gone on, and some crazy trials have taken place, I’ve continued to hear how God would use my writing. Even then I never considered myself a writer – just someone who liked to write.
Just for fun, I started blogging several years ago but with no consistency or theme. In the last year, it has been something I wanted to do more but didn’t always have the time for. People have often complimented me and shared they were encouraged by something I wrote. And I have found such a joy in that. I always figured that I would focus on writing down the road in life. However, over the course of the past few months, something shifted. I know now that I’m not someone who likes to write but that I am a writer and, because God has given me that gift, I want to use it to encourage others and glorify His Name. I am currently at a crossroads in my life and I feel in my heart that I need to be purposeful about writing. I’m not sure how it will all pan out but I’ve decided to take the dream off the back burner. I’m going to be intentional about embarking on this journey.
Thanks for sharing your story with us! It’s definitely an encouragement to aspiring writers.
I responded to this post via my blog. Please check it out here. :)
http://thoughtsofamothernms.blogspot.com/2011/11/when-did-you-first-believe-you-were.html
I would say I first realized I was a writer last year or the year before that. I was thinking about whether I was or not, and I thought to myself, “Writers write. Do I write? Yes. Then I must be a writer.”
And that was pretty much the end of that discussion for me, haha.
I wrote my 31 Days series this past October on writing, too, & my first post was called: “Are You a Writer?” I think it’s my favorite post ever. http://saamusings.blogspot.com/2011/10/are-you-writer.html
Hello Gypsy mama, I always read your inspiring blog posts and they encourage me a lot. Thank you for doing this for girls like us. I’m not a mother yet but I learnt a lot from your site. I know I’m a bit to late to answer to your question, I kept this post in my inbox and every time I delayed replying to it due being busy with my job.
Anyhow, here’s my story:
Ever since I was in school I was really bad at writing essay. I always believed that I’m not the person for such staff. Obviously, as I knew later, it was just lake of confidence and I didn’t believe in myself as I was suppose to. After graduating I got involved into network marketing and there I was required to write blogs, posts and reviews. This time I knew I have to do my best cause it’s a serious thing for me. So I gave it a try and put my heart into it. I was surprised to find my real telnet of writing. Maybe not as good as some other women do but at least I can expressing myself clearly and write down whatever I have in mind in understandable words.
This was the time when I believed I’m a writer ^^
Thank you for asking! I’m delighted to be able to share.
After my identity in Christ, I am a writer. With each passing year, as I journey towards ultimate healing and wholeness, I grow more conformed to the image of Christ, yet increasingly free to be who God designed me to be. I suppose I have loved words since birth. My first evidence that He made me a writer came not long after I was taught to hold a pencil to paper and composed letters, words, and sentences at age 5. I wrote my first stories at age 6, a series based on a storybook raccoon I had read about. In the 4th grade, my teacher assigned us creative writing throughout the year and towards the end of it, she remarked to my class, “When Ruth grows up and becomes a famous writer, we will tell everyone that we went to school with her.” I was old enough then to express my identity as a writer and to dream of being published, although writing had already been a natural part of my existence for years.
Throughout my childhood and adolescence I began many lengthy stories, enjoying the sensation of a pencil scratching on paper. I still believe that writing comes more from my heart away from the computer, with pens and notebooks for the first draft. I kept journals starting at age 11, had a few little bits published in children’s magazines, and wrote letters to as many as 50 international pen-friends. Some of the recipients claimed that I wrote, not letters, but books! I have never been what you might call a “bookworm,” although I do enjoy reading a wide range of material. Reading relates to me as voice lessons relate to a musician. During university, I became disgusted with analyzing literature, yet I relished turning in well-received research papers. During those years I also interviewed teenagers and contributed articles to the monthly church newsletter, receiving compliments not only on my writing but also for how I encouraged the teens in a special way.
These days, I find much satisfaction in composing electronic missives, facebook posts and comments, and I’m enjoying my current opportunity here! Until I’ve written the least little sentence or two, I feel restless, and afterwards I feel an effect much like what follows physical exercise: clarity of thought, vigor, relief. Nothing pleases me more than moving others to laugh and cry and think and be inspired through my words. My assurance that the Creator has called me drives me to write without fear, and with joy and diligence. Currently I’m getting to work on the first draft of my first novel, chosen from among several ideas of mine. We’ll see if I actually turn out to be a novelist, or remain simply a writer.
I became a believer at 14 and shortly after, a childhood friend was killed in a car accident. That is when I started writing some free verse poetry. I found it very soothing and kept it up. My mom found it and encouraged me to keep writing. Years later, after a few published articles, my daughters encouraged me to start a blog. Since I love creation and photography, I use that in my blog to encourage.