Writing is a part of who I am. In school, my easiest subjects were grammar and spelling and my favorite literature (history a close second). I read well and eagerly and started writing little stories as young as 8. My grade school teachers titled me with 'best story writer' when they passed around personal achievement awards. I had several pen-pals and enjoyed writing long letters. In my senior year of homeschooling I discovered a knack for writing poetry through some English assignments and branched out on my own.
Contrary to what you would think, I did not immediately attend college, major in English and start off my career as a teacher, editor, or writer. I entered the work force, attended college online for a while, and eventually abandoned it due mostly to financial constraints. I tried to keep up my writing, but it gradually slipped, save an occasional journal entry.
It has only been within recent years that I have again picked up my pen. Writing is not as easy for me as an adult as it was as a child. I have lost that child-like sense of wonder, an unlimited imagination, and a lack of self-criticism. But it is still very much a part of who I am. Through a Creative Writing Diploma program with Stratford Career Institute a few years ago, I was re-affirmed in my ability to write, and write well. My teacher/editor was challenging but very encouraging. At the end of my course she encouraged me to get involved in a writing group and to work toward the goal of becoming published. I didn't even have to look, since my sister-in-law had invited us to join the group she had recently started.
And that brings me to the present. I am not yet published, but I hope to be some day. In the future I may attend college again and earn that English B.A. but I have realized it is not essential to using the skills I already have and continue to develop. Writing is a part of who I am, not a just a career field or a hobby. It is an expression of myself, my totally unique contribution to this world, and I intend to use it. It takes discipline and hard work a lot of the time, but it is worth it. And even if I never become published, I will have been true to myself.
Contrary to what you would think, I did not immediately attend college, major in English and start off my career as a teacher, editor, or writer. I entered the work force, attended college online for a while, and eventually abandoned it due mostly to financial constraints. I tried to keep up my writing, but it gradually slipped, save an occasional journal entry.
It has only been within recent years that I have again picked up my pen. Writing is not as easy for me as an adult as it was as a child. I have lost that child-like sense of wonder, an unlimited imagination, and a lack of self-criticism. But it is still very much a part of who I am. Through a Creative Writing Diploma program with Stratford Career Institute a few years ago, I was re-affirmed in my ability to write, and write well. My teacher/editor was challenging but very encouraging. At the end of my course she encouraged me to get involved in a writing group and to work toward the goal of becoming published. I didn't even have to look, since my sister-in-law had invited us to join the group she had recently started.
And that brings me to the present. I am not yet published, but I hope to be some day. In the future I may attend college again and earn that English B.A. but I have realized it is not essential to using the skills I already have and continue to develop. Writing is a part of who I am, not a just a career field or a hobby. It is an expression of myself, my totally unique contribution to this world, and I intend to use it. It takes discipline and hard work a lot of the time, but it is worth it. And even if I never become published, I will have been true to myself.
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