Yesterday I dumped out why I've been absent. Let's move on! I said I wanted to take a few weeks to just reflect on this writing journey of mine and I intend on doing just that. I think it's a fun journey and I hope you'll all be willing to read my reflections and how I got to where I am today. Someone who is excited for the first time about the progress I am making in my WiP. (Currently at 20k, with a clear idea of the upcoming chapters. woot!)
I didn't start out in life as a writer. No, not even close. I actually kind of hated it (I blame college research papers) until I took a Creative Writing course. It turned out that I was decent at writing but, still, I was like…meh. Let's go paint! Let's go weld something to the toaster!
Me: Hi toaster! Want to be a really cool sculpture! Or a flower vase!
Toaster: ZOMG YES! You have the best ideas. (sings a song)
Me: Blissfully singing with toaster. I think a green army man would look nice standing on your handle!
Toaster: Super Glue Extravaganza!
That was how I spent so many of my years. Not so much talking to toasters, but I was so free in my creative expression that when it came to writing and there were things like…syntax…I got bored and/or frustrated. But, I was good enough at it that this one Professor thought I should be published.
Me: What!? Published you say?
Professor Awesome: Yes, published. That story was raw and emotional. You're good at this you should keep writing.
Me: O.o Erm…am I being graded on this?
Professor: No, just do it for fun.
Toaster: Screw off, dude! We have some bedazzling to do!
Even after experience I thought, nah, I have too many other things I would like to do and grammar isn't one of them. It wasn't until I had back surgery and my husband was leaving for his second tour to war that I started writing. I had to create, but my ability to do things like painting or whatever were hard/painful. I couldn't stand for very long, and I couldn't sit to save my life. However, I could lay down like a champ. I started to write about some experiences. In my Creative Writing class, the piece that was published was a Creative Non-Fiction story called "Fourteen Red Cars." It was a recall of fairly sad event in my life and I remembered how good it felt to write down said event in a fictional way. So I tried that same approach. My creative outlet is a necessity and writing became one of the few ways I could accomplish the nagging necessity that is creativity.
The story evolved from a life experience to some supernatural whirlwind and my imagination was running wild.
Toaster: Is there a green army guy in it?
Me: No. Well…at least not yet. We'll see. Blissful YAY! *folds rough draft into an origami penguin and makes it dance for my own entertainment*
My writing started out of a need to maintain my ability to create. From there it grew into something more, and here is where my journey truly begins.
Question, since I haven't left one in a while: When did you begin to write and why?
Unfortunately, Toasty is missing. But I thought I would share, for the first time, what it has looked like inside of my brain. This is a doodle from I think the seventh grade. It might make sense as to why writing felt restrictive in the beginning stages. My doodles don't even have rules...King Kong is on a syringe and the devil is pushing some dude into a toilet of brains??? Yikes! But, such is my journey. >.<
10 comments:
Oh man...I've been writing since I was in like second grade. I mean, I guess it started because I had to...I had a teacher who really encouraged writing and would have us write and illustrate our own stories (giving us just very basic jumping off points, such as "write an adventure story"). Then she would have them laminated and bound for us. I know that most of the other kids just did it because they had to...I did it because I LOVED it. In 5th grade my teacher was so impressed with my creativity and writing skills that he entered a couple of my stories in national contests. I only ever won honorable mentions but that's not too bad considering the number of people who entered those things ;)
By 6th grade I had written a 100 page story. Sure it was handwritten and probably would have only been about 30-40 pages typed, but not bad for an 11 year old!
I write because I have so many stories in my head. I write because it relieves stress. I write because I love it, with every fiber of my being. As silly as that sounds.
Love the doodle! Love it. I've always loved writing, but I was too cowardly to actually do anything more than teach it. About four years ago I decided to do something. Three years ago I thought of a story. Two and 1/2 years ago I wrote a first draft. Two years ago I started a blog. :-)
the reason i started writing was fanfiction. Straight up. And it was awesome and fun, so i stuck with it, just removed the "fan"
JEESH! You were one talented seventh grader!!! I love that I'm getting to see more of your writing journey - such a great way to get back into it!
I started writing when I was depressed. I had been really sick for months and one day voices just popped into my head... that was just over two years ago.
How's your bedazzling career?
There's nothing like school to take the joy out of a subject! It's amazing how one person believing in you can create a spark.
Erica-I'm glad you are coming out of it. That is a lot of changes to cope with, and you WILL get back to an equillibrium that will work. Good luck with sorting the new income source and settling back in!
hahahaha--LOVED this! What an awesome story (and what an interesting brain)!
Okay, why can't I draw like that. Your brain is way cool than mine. ;)
That doodle is insanely awesome. I see the genius in the fish filled with the swimming shark.
You rock.
That doodle is great. I love the way you wrote this. So cute.
I've always dabbled in writing somehow. I hated to read, and since I was horrible at grammar, thought I was no way qualified to write.
Ten years ago, a friend of mine said, "Don't worry about the grammar, just write it." So I wrote a whole bunch of stories in journals. Gave up when I had kids and now (that I'm getting older) decided that life's too short and to go for it. I love it and it feels like me.
Oh and I love to read now. :)
I'm sure that is full of grammatical errors. Sorry. Typing fast while kids are fighting.
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