Once Upon A Writing Time...

I first began dabbling in writing when I was in 5th grade. Not having anything else to write, I wrote down little paragraphs of my thoughts. I would sit down on my bedroom floor and type them out on the typewriter I was given. I wrote my little heart out as if I knew what I was doing.

When I got into junior high I began writing poetry and books. The first book I wrote was written at this time. Cheesy as it was, I loved every minute of it. I still have it to this day. One of my teachers had us do a career interview in class, I chose writing. I brought in the book I had been writing at the time and everything. It was also this time that I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wanted to be a writer.

When I got into high school I began writing songs. For the next 10 years, that's all I wrote. The books of my junior high years took a backseat to this new passion I had. I've kept every one of them and am proud of how many I've written over the years. Anything and everything was subject matter to me. I felt so accomplished whenever I filled up a notebook. To date, I have almost 2 storage bins full of them. Good thing I have closet space for them!

My first adult fiction book was conceived in the early 2000s. I began researching a hefty project: a historical fiction novel that traveled through numerous time periods and historical events. I loved doing all the research I did for it. I knew next to nothing about most of the time periods I chose to use, so I was learning as I researched. Another lifelong passion was born. I never got to the writing part because I became pregnant with my oldest daughter. No longer having every waking minute to devote to my book, I had to put it on the back burner. After having my second daughter a few years later, I eventually accepted that my project was on hold until further notice. One day I plan to return to it and accomplish what I set out to, but for now I can dream and plan.

Writing has been a huge part of my life for the vast majority of it. My songs are little pieces of me and my imagination. I look at them as my venting sessions. They really are glimpses into the numerous sides of my personality. The books I've written were stories I wanted to write out. I loved sitting down with nothing but a pen and paper and writing whatever came to my head. I may never have my writing published, but I'm fine with that. I never wrote for anyone but myself.