Why to Write

One of my first solid memories as a writer is 4th grade English. My teacher was Mrs. Kellog and she began every class with a writing prompt and a free write to get us thinking and writing. With each prompt my highly imaginitive brain would instantly start running, and my hand would attempt to keep up with it as I would write the beginning of what my 9 year old self truly believed was meant to be a full blown novel. I'm pretty sure every single story ended with "to be continued." At the end of the year we got to have our stories printed in a hard bound book with a cover and title of our design. It included a dedication statement and title page. And I remember feeling like these stories were my most prized position and one of my greatest accomplishment. I think in this moment I dreamt of turning these beginnings into full stories someday.

    It wasn't until early highschool that I gained a specific goal and desire as a writer. At eight years old I had begun to develop the magical world of Aribia. My sisters and I would spend hours creating stories about ourselves in this world, and playing "pretend" in this world for years. As I got older I knew I wanted to someday write a novel (or series) based on this world, drawing inspiration from C.S. Lewis and aiming at an audience of skilled, young readers. As a kid I wanted to challenge myself in my reading level, but was limited because of the graphic content of the older aged books. I gained a desire to learn the skills to be able to write a more difficult level book with child appropriate, engaging, and meaningful content rooted in this magical world.

    As I progressed in High School, I discovered a different kind of writer within me. The one I have probably seen most present in my life. The reflective, journalistic (as in diary journal...not news journalism), style of writing. The processing and encouraging. Or the questioning and criticizing. The writing that is putting the words I have to say in a particular moment on paper (or in this case a blog) when there is no where else to put them.

    I have always been a journaler. It is the way I pray and talk to God, and a way to process and record important moments in life. However, I think the moment I thought being a "writer" is a part of me, was whenever I wrote something meaningful or impactive to others. When I was able to give words to something someone else needed to say. And when I realized the gift it is when other writers have done this for me.