Not so long ago, my friend Charlie from Charfish Design wrote about what it means to him to be a designer. It left me wondering what it means to be a writer – and that’s not a question so easily answered.
Once upon a time, I wrote. I wrote often, frequently and on all sorts of matters fantastical and swashbuckling. I was young, of course, so the stories lacked the polish and gloss of good content, but the tales rang with burgeoning storyteller talent.
I was going to write a novel someday, of course. (Sound familiar?) I would be famous. I ate up all the books I could get my hands on, going through 300 pages or so in a day. I lost myself in the worlds authors created, and I desperately wanted to recreate that same sensation in my own work.
In CEGEP (I think that’s the Quebec version of early college), I took all the writing courses I could. In university, I did the same. I still want to take more training in writing, and I hope one day, I can.
My profession doesn’t allow me that much liberty of imagination. But it is a career that lets me use my words. I can persuade, convince or suggest. I can inform, teach or advise. I can entertain and I can anger. I can create something in the minds of people, invoking thought or instigating emotion.
I am paid well for my writing – but that isn’t why I write. The money doesn’t hold much meaning to me. It’s simply a resource, an expendable one. If I couldn’t earn money through writing, I’d earn my income in other ways.
But I’d continue to write – because I am in love.
I love writing. Writing – whether my writing or someone else’s – allows me to escape my world and fall into others. Writing lets me see rich, thriving forest, craggy cliff seashores and ocean spray. Writing lets me smell the salt in the air or hear the crack of a twig as a foot steps on it.
Writing lets me live the fear, feel the love, wipe away the tears and chuckle at the humor. It lets me meet people that I’ll never truly meet and delve inside their minds and souls like some fortuneteller picking truth from the mind.
Writing is a secret code. It’s more than words. It’s a language on pages that lets me drop into places that don’t exist to live in the world of wonderful dragons, or feel the battle-bloody excitement of Viking pillage or catch my breath at the frozen moment of danger.
I read voraciously. I read everything I can get my hands on. I devour books in just a few days and treat them like cherish friends. I read for the pure pleasure of having the colors come alive in my mind, of enjoying the ring of the voices that echo in my head.
I read and write for pleasure with my body, mind and soul. Reading lets me experience wonders that I cannot experience on my own, and writing lets me explore creating that sensation for others. It also lets me learn more about myself, the power of writing touching me deep inside.
Writing, to me, means that I can be a part of what doesn’t always exist… and that I can sometimes make it real.
What about you?
I once wrote something to the effect that I write because it’s the only way to read all of the stories that I want to read.
It’s also a good way for introverts to express themselves.
Mark Dykeman’s last blog post..Catch the brainwaves of Tamar Weinberg
Writing lets me interact with people I would otherwise never have a chance to meet. Whether that be due to the physical divide of distance, or the metaphysical divide of time after I pass on. And the beauty of the digital medium is that it can cross both of these divides with ease. It is a privilege to be able to share my thoughts and feelings in this way.
Brett Legree’s last blog post..focus on writing – part 1 – back to the future.
@Mark, I agree with you about writing being a way for “quietier” people to express themselves. It certainly works for me.
@James, Thank you for this post.
What does writing mean to me? Writing seems to be so much a part of me that I would feel lost if I could not write. I write beause I must. There just isn’t a way to get around it. Sure it’s fun to share ideas, express emotions, and have someone say, “Wow, you write well!”, but more than that it is a compulsion. I have to write and I wouldn’t be me, if I did not write.
I seem to always have a pen and paper in hand, jotting down an observation, a phrase, a rhyme. I ‘ve done this since I was young and I will continue to this. If I’m close to my computer, then of course I’m using it for my writing.
Jenny Burr’s last blog post..It is Well
Until very recently, I never thought of myself as a “writer”. Yes, I write constantly, yes I’ve had stuff published for real money, yes I earn significant money from it, yes I’ve had people say “I really love your writing” and all that.. but a writer? No, I’m a computer geek, not a writer..
Even now it makes me a bit uncomfortable. Hemingway was a writer, I’m not.. but then I think of all the truly awful authors (Stephen King, Robert Heinlein) who nevertheless can claim that title and I realize that you don’t have to be a GREAT writer, you just have to write.
So I’m a writer.. I guess
Tony Lawrence’s last blog post..A thousand meanings never meant by Anthony Lawrence
@Tony – why do you think that King and Heinlein are awful? Just curious.
Mark Dykeman’s last blog post..Catch the brainwaves of Tamar Weinberg
My childhood home was always full of with the best of the last of the hippies – students, artists and writers – coming and going to the sound of accoustic guitars and political debate, making art happen in college town suburbia. Writing – even if it’s not exactly Kerouac, what I write for a living – means keeping a shadow of that remarkable creative force alive in my grown-up life.
Years ago, I asked a Famous Canadian Poet what else he would have ‘been’ if not a writer. He just looked at me. Over time, I came to understand that the question simply made no sense to him. For a writer, there really is no ‘else’.
Tony,
You’d better give James his matches back. I love what you said but you’ll have the King fans after you!
James,
Charlie’s piece was just beautiful. No other word for it.
Warning: this turned out too long, but it doesn’t belong anywhere but here.
When I was really small, I began with letters to friends and family. We lived far from everyone, and a phone call was expensive! Huge, heartfilled missives. Those have really never stopped, although they have slowed a lot. I still get a letter now and then. My best old writing buddies, aunts and friends who could keep riffing with me on a subject for weeks, have died or faded away.
Then journals. Dozens of them. Horrid things full of embarrassingly intimate and immature thoughts. They made me who I am, no doubt.
And essays. Oh, thank you all my teachers for the joy of the essay!
Poetry. Some even published in tiny mags. Zillions of poems.
An occasional short story. Even collaborated on a couple of plays.
In college: Thesis papers. WOW! You mean essays on steriods? Awesome.
A couple of small “books” on family genealogy. Strictly self-published, sold to interested parties.
Back in college: More theses! Heaven!
Through it all: Love letters. Nothing better.
Chats, forums, emails. Writing to others again.
Memos, manuals, handbooks, brochures. Even a radio spot, though that’s not normally my thing. Writing for others. Digging in, learning new things, and turning something dry into something usable and engaging.
Notes to Self: Thoughts about good/ bad design, process improvements, observations, theories, rants, and philosophies. Innumerable notes, in three-ring binders and in my planner, every thought preserved in case “someday” I might want to come back to it. New ideas flood me daily, and I hate to let one I might need later get away.
Lurking, tiptoeing, commenting (!) on blogs. I can’t wait any longer or I will burst. Time to write for real. Nobody who works with me wants me to wait any longer either.
A blog! Dust off those innumerable notes! The blog is thesis papers again, only I choose the length, I choose the research vs. opinion ratio, I choose the topic. Fabulous.
I think the only thing I’ve never written is a song.
What does it mean? It means I can’t live without it. Never could.
You have a way of getting me started… sheesh!
Thanks as always,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: What Are You Doing For Me After Hours?
What you said about reading really resonated with me, James, because that’s how I read. For me, the worst fate in the world is to have nothing to read. The best place to be is with a pile of unread books, offering a choice of new directions. It’s the only addiction I’ve ever had, and one I’m quite happy with.
I write because I can’t imagine doing anything else. One day I hope to create some of those fictional worlds for other people that have given me so much pleasure as a reading junkie (yes, I’ve got a couple of unfinished novels, too.) In the meantime, I’m happy when anything I write makes a difference to the people I write for.
Sharon Hurley Hall’s last blog post..Querying And Bidding Strategies
I am first time visiting this blog.Its good.For me witting is a way to express you feeling about someone or something.It connects me to the world.
Agent 001′s last blog post..Blog update 14th April
Hey James,
Okay, I had a flash of a blog idea the other day, and I sat down to write it this morning. Of course, because I haven’t learned to write *everything* down yet with my declining memory, I couldn’t remember what it was. So I made some stops around my usual blog haunts — and here you’ve jogged my memory! (Not the exact same topic, but close enough…)
I am one of those typical writers — a novel (or two) in the drawer, enjoy playing with words (but need motivation to sit down to do it most days), and very happy when the muse is chatting in my ear.
I am very grateful though that I can write for a living. Of course I would do other things to make a living if I had to, but I can’t think of anything I would rather do.
I’m going to sit down and write that post now… thanks!
~Graham
Graham Strong’s last blog post..Document Everything
I’ve recently rekindled my love affair with writing. I was cheating on it with German studies, until I realized that I didn’t REALLY love German studies and that I’d always run back to writing. Writing isn’t my first love, but it seems to be the one that’s sticking.
In all seriousness though, I never thought that a person could make money from writing. My family harped on me (“you’ll live in a box, blah blah blah”), I stopped pursuing it, and that was the end of that. I took the major that the family wanted and just dealt with the misery. Now, it’s nearly impossible to drag myself to German classes and I find myself writing during lectures.
It’s like my schedule is holding me back from the career that I actually want and it took me a LONG time to realize that. Now I know why I’ve felt anxious for years: I’m a writer, not a German studies major.
I’m in the process of rediscovering what exactly writing means to me, but so far, I know that I still love it
RLD: Taekwondo Happiness’s last blog post..Whoops!
@Tony,
If the benchmark is King or Heinlein, then we are all writers for sure…
(for the record, I think you write very well – I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read so far at your place)
Brett Legree’s last blog post..windows live writer sucks. or, fail early, fail often.
Though I’m not a writer per se, writing is the only way I can get my feelings out into words. I’m terrible at expressing myself verbally, but I can sit down and type a lengthy letter spilling my heart out. Verbal introvert, written extrovert, c’est moi!
I’ve always been a reader, but long ago I picked up that bad reading habit of rereading lines. If I think I missed a word or was slightly distracted by something I will skim back and reread over and over, so it takes me a long time (compared to any of you, I’m sure) to read a book. I know there are exercises out there to break me of this, but I haven’t attempted them yet. A simple bookmark scrolling down the page should be easy, but eh *shrug* I can’t be bothered.
Nicole’s last blog post..Making the Most of It
Words.
Contain my essence
often fail,
I persist.
Words
Describe wonders;
occupy space,
I retreat.
Hug silence.
no thoughts,
I am no form.
Stumble back
search again
for my friend,
Words.
Harmony’s last blog post..The D,E,F and G of Golden Zen
Post script -
You know, that is what I love about writing.
I write paragraphs.
And then I edit
and edit some more and before you know it,
the words themselves have taken a shape,
I didn’t expect.
I wasn’t trying to be poetic…or dramatic.
I followed words – and most of them wanted to leave.
All that was left, was above.
Writing is like painting for me, it let’s me let go,
and watch creation form itself.
Harmony
Harmony’s last blog post..The D,E,F and G of Golden Zen
@Harmony So is writing a visual medium for you at all? Did the way the words looked on the page (in your first comment) make any difference in your editing process or was the layout just a by-product of your editing? Curious.
Nicole’s last blog post..Making the Most of It
You know, it started Nicole as a blog post. Regular looking draft.
Then, strangely I knew there were far too many words.
And oddly, they wanted to go. So I revised probably 15 times, and just relaxed with it like I would a painting.
Near the very end, I did look at what had happened. And decided to space it slightly different to add a dimension of space to the idea of space.
Does that make any sense?
How was your wine last night.
What time I waited for I made up volume.
Going to visit your blog…
Gotta to get to know this Nicole person.
Cheers.
Harmony’s last blog post..The D,E,F and G of Golden Zen
@Harmony It makes perfect sense, being the visual person that I am.
I didn’t get to finish the first glass of wine, but I’m making up for that in doses of sunshine today! Much better option for this lovely Saturday afternoon.
Nicole’s last blog post..Making the Most of It
Then enjoy Nicole. I’ve got sunshine here today in Vancouver as well, and Ginger and I, my wondertul puppy, are heading out for a country drive, accompanied by a wandering stroll through farm fields and blossoming spring bouquets. Thanks for the banter.
Harmony’s last blog post..The D,E,F and G of Golden Zen
Like many writers, I grew up in an abusive household. I learned to tightly control my behavior and my actions. For me, writing was freedom- freedom to feel and think my won thoughts. It was where I could be myself, or anyone else I wanted to be that day. Through writing, I could escape the unpleasantness of my life and nurture hope that tomorrow would bring a better day.
Great comment Jamie. I think you struck a chord. Writing allows us to create what we see and hear, despite what is going on around us. Thanks.
Harmony’s last blog post..The D,E,F and G of Golden Zen
Writing to me?
Breathing.
The very breath that enters and leave my body does so with words.
And then can I just say *ditto* to everything you said James? You said it beautifully. No need to compete with that work of perfection.
I cleaned out my closet on Friday and found my box of keepsakes. In there is a stack of writings that date back from kindergarten all the way thhrough my school days. Stories, complete with illistrations, detailing my evolution in this crazy world.
I write to find myself.
I LOVE writing.
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..Being Enough
@ Mark – Okay, that’s a very cool idea. That’s actually very interesting – what if everyone started blogging on what they truly wanted to read? I wonder what would happen?
@ Brett – Yes, the reach with writing is far longer than with any other medium – and your words will still be around after you aren’t anymore… now that’s legacy. Write well, my friend.
@ Jenny – That’s true – Harry and I are both like that. We’ll often say, “I *need* to write.” It doesn’t matter on what. I’ve written pages about a post-it note, in fact. It’s just… writing.
@ Tony – I think Stephen King is a terrible writer when you look at the purist take of writing. I can *never* get into the first chapter of anything he writes, because it doesn’t seem to make sense. And by chapter two, I’ve fallen into his world – and I’ve figured out why. He writes like I *think*. His words are like the way my thought processes happen. Rather scary, actually… maybe that’s why I have nightmares
@ RJ – I love that story. It’s like asking someone what they’d do if they had to stop breathing. Impossible.
@ Kelly – I’m glad you wrote that. I actually never realized how much writing we’re raised with, from toddlerhood to now and beyond. Do you know that I kept my essays from University? I kept all my writing. And yes. Love letters are the best. I keep those too.
@ Sharon – Ha, an addiction! Now that’s true. (Oh god, not another addiction…)
@ Agent – Welcome – and feel free to join in the conversations at any time.
@ Graham – Ha, okay you jog my memory and I’ll jog yours. Sound like a deal?
@ RLD – My mother still cries that I didn’t become a lawyer. Or an architect. Or a doctor. Or marry someone very beautiful and rich, at the very least. My work history (save 12 years in the corporate world) shames her. I’m proud of being the black sheep
(What were you going to do with German, btw?)
@ Nicole – If you knew how many words and lines I skipped reading in a day, you’d probably cry. Become a problogger. You won’t have time to reread lines
@ Harmony – That was cool
Melissa Donovan would love you for doing that.
@ Jamie – Ahh, now there’s a chunk of truth. Writing allowed many people to cope and deal in their own way with their pasts. Agreed. It’s very healthy therapy – or great escapism, depending on where you are with things.
James,
I just wanted to say “thanks” for this today. You know, it has been great reading everyone’s answers – we are all so very unique.
Brett Legree’s last blog post..windows live writer sucks. or, fail early, fail often.
@James: OMG…now I’ll have nightmares, too. Not because I think like King writes, but because YOU think like King writes. Actually, I’m surprised I didn’t have nightmares after watching the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp rendition of Sweeney Todd last night.
In short, it sucked. An all-star cast and I had to force myself to watch until the end because I paid $21 for it and dammit, I was going to watch it!
Anyway, I realized this week I missed writing for fun. All the words and ideas just keep getting backlogged as responsibilities get in the way and then after a while that becomes downright painful.
Today I had no distractions. I puttered around the house and came back and wrote a few things at my leisure, sort of like nibbling at a buffet. It felt good.
@Harry: thanks for the heads up, I was going to rent that…
Write for fun, when you can. It feels great, doesn’t it.
Brett Legree’s last blog post..windows live writer sucks. or, fail early, fail often.
James,
Yeah, I’ve kept everything. University papers and all. Some of the letters to and from my friends (ever the Capricorn, I used to carbon-copy what I was writing to them so I’d have both sides of the conversation) are just adorable to look at now… a heated debate over the merits of the Boomtown Rats, an anguished demand to have my copy of The Stranger (Billy Joel) returned to me, discussions on religion and politics… half-formed kids bouncing ideas off each other.
Harry,
Puttering is as good for the soul as writing, sometimes, and usually minus the anguish.
Until later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: What Are You Doing For Me After Hours?
I always hated writing in school. I know, it’s blasphemy for me to say that here, right? It always bored me to write about what *they* wanted me to write about, plus I was never very good at it anyways. The only times in school that i enjoyed writing was a short story for one of my classes, or a big old paper about the demographics of Vietnam of all things!
Nowadays I enjoy writing more, although still not at the point the rest of you do. For me it’s more a medium for me to share my love of food/sushi than doing it for the love of writing. I’m learning to love it more as I improve, but it’s still not at that level for me.
I suppose something that to me would be similar to how you feel about writing is dancing. I’ve always been pretty introverted/quiet, so I express myself better with movement than with words.
Dance is my joy, my relaxation, my release, my first love. Dance is how I express myself best, dance is how I live.
@ James – That is the main reason I never read any of King’s books – I get nightmares way too easily. Either that or I spook myself when I’m home alone! Also, horror movies are a no-no, for the same reason.
@ Brett – Rent Enchanted if you haven’t seen it yet… I don’t know about your boys, but your daughter will love it.
Allison’s last blog post..Tuna Nigiri
Allison, Brett,
Enchanted is very funny. The grownups get to LOL and the kids have no idea why, mainly, they just sit and think it’s like any other “princess” film. My parents and I took my daughter and her cousins. My Dad, in particular, was howling with laughter at times. Good recommendation.
Later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: What Are You Doing For Me After Hours?
Aargh! I meant to put this in there for Harry and other cat lovers. Something else to howl with laughter over:
The Engineer’s Guide to Cats
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: What Are You Doing For Me After Hours?
@ Allison & Kelly,
That looks like a really neat movie, actually. Maybe I will have to rent it.
Kelly – that video is *awesome*
Brett Legree’s last blog post..foot fetish? six weeks to a marathon.
@ Kelly,
The Engineer’s Guide to Cats video, I meant… oboy, time for another pint of beer…
This is what I’m drinking today http://www.heritagebrewing.com/ I just discovered it and it is really neat stuff. The brewery is only about 90 minutes drive from where I live, and I never knew about it!
Even cooler – it comes in a stubby!
http://www.stubby.ca/
Brett Legree’s last blog post..foot fetish? six weeks to a marathon.
Just tell me you don’t do the thing with the ties and calculators at your house?
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: What Are You Doing For Me After Hours?
Brett Legree’s last blog post..foot fetish? six weeks to a marathon.
@Kelly: I can assure you I will not have 3 cats. Two is plenty. This video was priceless. Not only do I have cats, but my roommate is an engineer. It’s true, engineers can eat the same thing day after day and not get tired of it.
The cat yodeling had me laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe.
Thank you.
Having been closely associated with an engineer or two in my past (and four cats, once upon a time), I was laughing from the minute the deadpan voice began. I was crying by the end, I was laughing so hard. Bookmarked to return to whenever I need a laugh. Glad you guys liked it.
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: What Are You Doing For Me After Hours?
When you guys meet me someday (not if, when – I have this feeling…), I assure you that I don’t sound like that guy.
I do eat pizza and beer 29 days of the month, though…
Brett Legree’s last blog post..foot fetish? six weeks to a marathon.
I’m still on dial up for a few more weeks, so the video is still loading. I might get to see it by midnight.
Then again, maybe not..
@ Allison, I love to dance too! Only I can only dance alone, with the lights out. Yeah, it’s that bad. I practiced the basic steps for a formal couples dance for weeks before my brother-in-law’s wedding. I so badly wanted to dance with my husband and be graceful and elegant for at least 5 minutes. I fell down the steps at the church after the ceremony and broke my foot in 4 places Never did get that 5 minutes of grace.
James, I can go goofy now for a sec, right?
Jamie, you should have seen me yesterday morning after watching Freedom. (First I used the fan…) I was a 21-year old again, dancing around the apartment like a supermodel. While putting on a suit, which kinda destroyed it. So I watched it again today and totally channeled Naomi, Cindy, etc. Alone, but not with the lights out. I don’t want to trip on anything!!
Brett, with that much pizza and beer how will you fit in time for marathoning?
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: What Are You Doing For Me After Hours?
Kelly,
The secret is organic beer and free-range pizza… when they can run around the fields, they tend to be really lean
Brett Legree’s last blog post..foot fetish? six weeks to a marathon.
LOL!
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: What Are You Doing For Me After Hours?
My god that is a great post, James.
I’m supposed to add something really well thought out and be keen and insightful, but I’m a little busy wiping up the drool. This is such a nice piece of writing in itself, but gives a great glimpse into what it means to create. Artists and musicians and writers…we don’t create, we die inside and the world stops glowing a bit.
Thanks for this!
@ RLD
German Studies is not for me
Yet it is the plight of my degree
If I could make my family agree
Then I’d write for happiness,
…………………..and German flee
It is hard when family doesn’t agree, understand or relate, yet it sounds to me like you need to change from language studies to creative writing, english, litterature, etc.
Twenty years ago,(aging myself here), when I was at university I met a few people who were taking the courses that their parents wanted them to take, they were miserable. They were failing, and basically wasting their parent’s money. Why not spend their money wisely and make a better choice.
Jenny Burr’s last blog post..It is Well
@Jenny – cute rhyme! Thanks for the vote of confidence. I’m finding that I’m one step away from the apathetic failing students and I just can’t let myself kill my GPA like that. On the upside, I have an appointment with the academic adviser, so that I can go ahead and NOT be a major that I hate.
@James – I’ve been indecisive about which German-related career I would pursue. I was doing German education for a while (parents were really happy about the teaching bits). When I switched over to German studies, I was planning on taking language and research intensive courses, and when I finished my BA, I would go to grad school for translation.
I got through German 6 in high school (with 1 being beginner German) and have spent 2 years studying it at the university. I am SO finished with this language! I’m still going to speak it with my siblings (apparently learning German is now the cool thing), but I never want to see another German academic paper for as long as I live!
RLD: Taekwondo Happiness’s last blog post..Whoops!
I agree with Jamie. Writing is freedom.
For me, one of the most shy people on the planet, writing was a way to express the real me. I’m not the most talented speaker, and I tend to get nervous and anxious when I can’t present myself effectively through spoken words.
As a writer, I have the chance to draft, edit and rewrite myself before anyone has a chance to read what I have written.
It’s not something that I consciously chose as my profession. It’s something I’ve always done, and it’s really all I think about.
I just love words. Reading them or writing them, it doesn’t really matter.
As long as they mean something to someone, that’s really what makes them important.
@ RLD, I’m glad that you liked the rhyme and that you have an appointment to change your major. Way to go!
Jenny Burr’s last blog post..It is Well
Someone made me answer this question in an essay in college. I said something along the lines of:
“People who hear voices in their heads are generally considered crazy. People who write down the voices in their heads so that other people begin to believe in them are considered geniuses.”
And I’d rather be a genius than crazy.
I love it too. I love the feel of it, I love writing and thinking and the way the two bind together, I love stories and language and the fine art of altering grammar to craft an image, I love the startling moment when a character becomes a person, but most of all, I believe keeping all the voices locked up in my head would make me into a crazy cat lady, and I’m too young for that shit.
Tei’s last blog post..Strange Beast: The Networker
@Tei, that’s fabulous. It’s going on a sticky note on my office wall. You know, in case anyone strolling in might need a bit of help to recognize Genius at work!
Writing helps me get more in touch with who I am. When I write, I can not only hear the thoughts in my head, but I can also see them on paper which involves two senses instead of one. Visual as well as audible makes the words more real for me. It also helps me to organize my thoughts. Organizing is easier on paper than just in my head.
Patricia – Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker’s last blog post..I Feel Like A Woman
Writing allows me to connect with many people I will never personally meet but whose lives I can touch and ideally improve.
I was moved to tears. Thank you for helping me to understand that I am not alone in this love of words and description and escape. Life would be so unbearable without these things for me.
@ Missy – You’re very welcome
I Love this I’m also am a writer and I’m currently working on a Novel I’m 300 pages into it writing is my life.
Well, I suppose I really could say writing is my life, but I don’t know that I mean it the way most people do when they say things like that. I mean that writing is something that is a common thread when it comes to pretty much every aspect of my life as I know it. These days writing is not only my number one way of expressing myself, but it’s also the way I unwind at the end of the day. I don’t necessarily get this magical transcendent feeling that a lot of you seem to get when you sit down to write, but I do feel I would be quite crippled in many ways if I was somehow no longer able to do it.
This is kind of an odd thing for me to realize, because I don’t know that my writing talent was ever anything I took all that seriously. I was always that kid that could churn out A+ essays and research papers on any subject without thinking about it, but I was also someone that could effortlessly think up these really great characters, worlds, and storylines. I guess I knew I was a good writer, but although I enjoy writing, I never was really all that passionate about it. (I guess I always considered visual art to be my “thing”.)
My life started to revolve around writing completely by accident. I had gotten into blogging at one point just because I liked the idea of having a virtual journal that never ran out of pages. I never did it to connect with other people or with the intention of anyone else really caring about it, so I was pretty surprised when others were actually interested in reading what I was writing.
Something similar happened when I started doing things like writing informative articles and whatnot just… for fun, and to share some of my extraneous knowledge with the rest of the web. I never expected to have anything I wrote purchased by publishers or anything, but it was. From there on, I guess I felt inspired to start taking my writing more seriously and the rest is history”, he said.