I know, it's hard to believe. But it's true!
I've always felt like there was something missing in my life, but I didn't know what it was. And then one day I found out that it was writing. I have always loved to read, but I never thought of myself as a writer. Now, I couldn't imagine a day without writing. It's like air—or water—or food. Writing is essential to me; it's an integral part of my being.
I found out a few months ago that I'm a writer. And by “writer,” I mean someone who writes stories—not someone who writes for newspapers or magazines or whatever. I mean someone who writes stuff down on paper in hopes of someday having other people read it and maybe even feel something when they do so.
I realized how much more there is to being a writer than just writing. It's not enough to just write your stuff; you have to put it out there for people to read and respond to, too. And then you have to deal with the responses—both good and bad—and learn how best to use both kinds of feedback in order to improve as an artist and grow as an individual human being! It's kind of overwhelming sometimes, especially when you're running late for school, but also really rewarding when you see how much progress you've made over time thanks to all those hours spent practicing your craft.
I've been writing ever since I was little, but I didn't realize what it meant to be a writer until recently. For a long time, my writing was just something fun to do—a way to pass the time between classes and get my thoughts out there for other people to see. But then one day, after reading some of my old stories, I realized that if someone had told me those were good enough to publish somewhere or even just keep, I would have been thrilled!
I mean, that's what writers do, right? They put words down on paper (or into a computer) and hope that someday those words will make their way into the hearts of readers all over the world.
The funny thing is, though, that before this momentous discovery of my own writerly identity, I had absolutely no idea how many different kinds of writers there are out there—and how many different kinds of stories they could tell! You see, I always thought that being a writer meant writing fiction books like Harry Potter or The Fault in Our Stars or The Hunger Games series—but it turns out there are so many more ways to tell stories than just through novels! There are plays and screenplays and poetry… but even beyond those forms of storytelling, there are also essays and articles—which is where I've found myself most at home lately.
It turns out that my favorite thing to do is share my experiences with others, whether it's through a story about my childhood or an explanation of why I love something so much. And so, as a result of this realization, I've found myself spending more time than ever writing non-fiction pieces instead of novels.
Maybe it's because the act of writing makes me feel like I'm connecting with people on a deeper level than just talking to them face-to-face could ever achieve. Or maybe it's just because when you're writing an article, you can say whatever pops into your head without having to worry about offending anyone, something which can be difficult in real life. Whatever the reason may be, I'm excited about where this new path will take me!
In Conclusion
I used to think that maybe I wasn't meant to write because I wasn't very good at it—but now I realize that isn't true at all. In fact, the more I write, the better I get at it! And the more I write, the more confident I feel about myself as a writer (even if no one else reads or cares about what I write). That confidence is so important when you're starting out as an artist or creator: knowing that no matter how many people see your work or how many people support you financially or emotionally—at least one person still believes in you and loves your work enough to keep doing it even after they've seen how awful some of those first few drafts were!
Copyright, 2022 frdchckn. All rights reserved.
When the hobby grows into a passion, you will know that truly, writing is your ambition