Why I write.

I have heard it said, people who write stories are partly if not completely crazy. Not crazy in the 'I need to be institutionalized' way, but crazy in the I like to do really hard things that I don't actually have to do. I think I can agree with that.

I remember the first time I wrote something. I was in kindergarten and my mom made me enter the Reflections contest. I wrote a short paper about how I wanted to be exactly like my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Fitts, and I won. The next time I wrote something significant was a poem in the ninth grade. Honestly, it was not good, but somehow it caught my teachers eye, and was published in a book of poems by junior high kids. I still have the copy of the book. When I was in high school, I had an assignment to right a short story. My teacher accused me of plagiarism, and it made me feel like a professional.

Still, it took years for me to actually write a book, though I have tons of first chapters strewn around my house in different drawers and boxes. I was inspired by a well known author who wrote about her dream. I had an interesting dream one night, and decided I should write a book about it. I wrote that book from start to finish four times and it still sucks, but it was a valuable experience. It made me realize how much I loved writing, how amazing it feels for words to flow out of me creating an entirely new story. I love the written word, and I love when I come up with something that causes people to feel real emotion.

Because of all of this, and because some day I am going to be a published author, I decided I should start a blog. Few people have actually read what I have written, so I wanted to expand my readership. I will be sharing my thoughts on writing and books I love and even ones I didn't love so much. I hope it is helpful and interesting.