For the Love of Writing

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, and I probably should have posted this then, but I was having too much fun with my family and eating chocolate. Who can blog with chocolate in their mouth?

To be happy in life, it’s been said you need to find what you love to do and then do it. My first love when I was a child was reading. When I was a little older, say nine or so, I discovered that I could write down the stories I made up in my mind and then I could read them along with the books I discovered. What a euphoric moment that was! My father made me a desk and I would sit at it and make up all kinds of stories that, quite frankly, only interested me back then.

As I got older I found that others began to enjoy my writing. Teachers would single my work out to read to the class which was both embarrassing as well as thrilling. When I was a freshman in high school my English teacher told me he thought I should pursue writing as a career. It had never occurred to me that doing what I loved to do would be something I could do with my life.

It’s taken me awhile to actually do it. I studied journalism for years, and worked as a reporter and a columnist. It was at this point in my life I discovered that newspaper reporting wasn’t for me. While I enjoy writing, I found I didn’t have the aggressive personality to be a successful reporter. After working as a features writer for a short period I eventually left newspaper work and moved onto other things.

So here I am, all these years later, finally working at what I knew at nine was what truly made me happy. Writing. Telling stories and having other people read them. I’d be willing to bet that if you are a writer your story is probably very close to mine. As a child you spent time spinning tales in your head, creating characters and scenarios to carry forth those stories.

Writing is a passion. If you have it, follow it. Don’t put it off!

Here’s to the love of writing!