How to become a writer...
When you are a young child you have no true sense of reality.Ā You view the world through your innocent eyes and figure out what to make of it.Ā You are influenced by those you look up to and go to school because you have to. Ā Your dreams are big and your imagination is wild.Ā You are taught to shoot for the stars but no one tells you what will happen if you miss. Ā
From the age of five I would write stories from the minute I got home from school until it was time for bed. I continued to write daily up until sixth grade.Ā I wrote my first story that was over a hundred pages and I couldnāt be more proud. Ā If only I could have worked up the courage to show anyone. Ā I trashed it and began to focus more on how my friends would see me. Ā I never wanted to be judged especially on my writing. After my sophomore year I gave up all dreams of becoming a writer. Ā I listened to those who told me it would never be a steady career. Ā That I needed to pursue something that was more set in stone and I quickly became lost.
Writing had been the only thing I had ever wanted to do since I was a little girl. I started to forget how it felt to be so inspired by an idea and start writing for hours.Ā My imagination seemed to quickly be disappearing. Ā I had no goals or dreams that seemed attainable to me. Ā
Junior year everyone was touring colleges and they saw their futures so clearly. I stopped writing and caring about school. I was confused and felt like I didnāt have what it took to be a writer. I graduated from high school and my path seemed unclear. I enrolled in community college and thought I might as well take my general ed classes and figure it out later.Ā As soon as I finished my first week of classes I knew it was a mistake. Ā I didnāt belong there and it wasnāt what I wanted. I just needed time to clear my head. I dropped out of college and began working full time. Ā Waking up everyday and doing the same routine just to pass the days by. I was so lost when I thought about my future. I saw everyone having a great time away at college and felt like I had made a mistake when I dropped out.
I realized you canāt live with regret. Ā You have to learn from it, accept it and do your best to move on. Iām not going to let who I was then define who I am today. I might be a completely different person and Iām constantly changing but Iāve always been the same at heart. Just a girl who loves to write. Ā
So I thought about it. Ā How could I become a writer? How could I try to get my imagination back and refocus my mind from the place where I lost it. Ā I saw that you could major in creative writing at the UARTS so I applied.Ā It was the only school I applied to and I had doubts that Iād get accepted. Everything happens for a reason though and I was so thrilled when I got accepted. I get to be around other writers and improve my writing. I still canāt tell you how to be a writer. I honestly donāt know myself. Iām just trying to take it day by day and work on myself, get inspiration from those around me and try my best to be the person I always was. Ā The best way to be a writer, is to never doubt yourself because thatās what took me so far away from my dreams.
