Tag Archives: writing

What writing means to me

I’ve always loved to write. I really have. I think it is either some sort of quirk in a chromosome that I was born with, or it became ingrained in me through my mom reading a book to me every night before bed. (Something I can’t wait to do for my own kids some day!)

As far back as I can remember, I’ve loved books. I devoured books. The best Christmas gifts ever usually came in the form of… you guessed it… books. By second grade I was reading chapter books. Boxcar Children was my series, thanks to my teacher reading the first book of the series to us in class. (My addiction to series books later morphed into Baby-Sitters Club and the various Sweet Valley series.)

In 3rd grade, I started competing in writing competitions. Every year I’d enter. And every year, until 7th grade, I couldn’t win to save my soul. But it never stopped me from trying. I enjoyed learning how to write descriptively, or how to write a how to paper. I never minded the writing portions of tests (often accused of not even knowing how to write “short answers” because they’d always end up too detailed), and I would often “write” stories in my mind as I fell asleep at night. (Usually based on whatever book I was reading at the time.)

I hit high school, and I took journalism as “an easy A” and I discovered a talent for the writing style. So I pursued it all the way through college. I went into my first newspaper job, and I found what I loved was my column writing. Free form writing again. No journalistic rules (outside of, of course, making sure I was being honest and not slandering anyone). Just write whatever was on my mind. And I even won an award for one of my columns!

Even when I wasn’t in a writing job, I’d write. Fan fiction became a new outlet for me. Then just writing daily in my private journal. I have always been writing. It’s become like breathing for me. I have to do it to clear my thoughts. I have to to it to share with the world. And maybe, just maybe, it’ll mean something to someone else.

I was recently asked to put a price tag on my blog. I came up with some sort of arbitrary number, even as I wanted to scream, “PRICELESS!” Its like being asked to put a price tag on oxygen for me. If I didn’t have this blog, I’d have another one. I have to write. I need to write. I love to write.

Maybe some day I’ll actually make a little money doing it…

In awe of others

I try everyday to make my rounds to various other blogs to see what others have written. I consider it a chance to not only get to know more people, but to also learn from others what does or does not work. Some days, I don’t do so hot at making the rounds. I’m either tired or busy or just flat out not in the mood. However, I try to keep those days to a minimum.

I direct your attention to the right side of the screen. For those who are directionally challenged just as I am, its this way; —–>

Below the top ad, you’ll see three blog posts from other blogs on the Blogher network to go visit. I always visit those links. Always. They are guaranteed to be great posts. Those three links consistently leave me in awe of their writing talents. Those links make me want to be a better writer. There are some truly talented writers out there on the web, and it makes me glad that through blogs those writers get attention. It’s a whole new world in regards to publishing and writing these days!

I still dream of being a published author. Its a dream I will not give up on. Its a dream I will achieve. I see many other bloggers out there with the same dream, and as I read their stuff I know they’ll achieve that dream as well.

I may lament the decline of the English language due to text-speak and new versions of shorthand, but the fact, thankfully, remains that there are still a lot of people out there who do love to write, and they do so with great care. I salute all those who do, and I want to tell them I am in awe of them. I appreciate what you do, and I thank you for letting me be a part of your industry.