This Blogfest is
being hosted by none other than DL Hammons at
Cruising Altitude 2.0, Alex J. Cavanuagh, Katie Mills at Creepy
Query Girl, and Mathew
MacNish at QQQE. It's all about the story of your writing origins.
My story begins with a lonely teenage girl and a notebook. Growing up, I was always new to an area (I moved 10 times by the time I was eighteen) and lacking in friends. I had a great family but craved peers, so I created them. If I didn't have my nose stuck in a book, I was writing my own stories in a notebook. Most of them were about teen angst... a subject I felt I knew well.
When I headed off to college, my father talked me into a practical degree. I listened, but waltzed into my college newspaper looking for a job. I got one and wrote for them all four years. My junior and senior years I wrote the corporate newsletter for a wholly owned subsidiary of IBM in the area. I was quite proud of myself. I had combined the practical with something I loved doing. As the daughter of a poet and an engineer, it seemed the best of both worlds.
After college, I landed jobs in the financial industry. Once a company realized I liked writing/editing, they figured they had a two-for-one deal. I was asked to work on manuals, newsletters, marketing materials... you name it. I was so thrilled to be writing and getting paid.
But I craved creative writing. I took a Short Story class at my local community college, and the desire to write intensified. In 2000, I gave birth to my first daughter and my creative writing career. Not wanting to lose myself in the role of being a mom, I approached my own mom about writing a novel together. The rest, as they say, is history.
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I hope you enjoyed my "birth" story... the origins of my writing career. If you'd like to hear others' stories, please visit here.
16 comments:
Glad you got it in... under the wire. :) I know how you feel. We moved around a lot growing up too; another reason why I read so much. Thanks for sharing your story.
It's fantastic that you got paid to write and I'm glad you're taking care of your creative writing needs.
I look forward to hearing more about your mother/daughter book! It sounds like a wonderful idea! Nice to meet you through the blogfest. Julie
Thanks everyone! I'm looking forward to visit other origins posts.
What a wonderful journey to get from there to here. I love it.
I can identify--- I lived in 13 houses by the time I was 13. Reading books gave me the only friends I wasn't going to lose forever in a year or so.
Hi, I am a new follower from the Origins blogfest. I am really interested in learning more about your mother/daughter book project. That is such an awesome idea-too bad my teens would run if I brought the subject up. What a fascinating way to work closely with your daughter. I love it.
Nissa, We sound like kindred spirits!
Melissa, Mom and I wrote a coming of age story told from two distinct perspectives: middle aged moms and her teenage daughter.
Thanks, Natalie! I really appreciated your Valentine's Post today!
Co-authoring sounds like it would be a wonderful experience. The opportunity to bounce ideas off each other as you go would add a new dimension to writing.
I started writing journals twenty years ago - pre-computer - and am still finding old notebooks around with journal entries in them.
I was a military kid, so I moved lots of times when I was young as well. It definitely contributed to my active immagination, and my sense of isolation. I can relate. Thank you for sharing your ORIGIN with us!
I've often said that writing is a friend. :)
Great to meet you on this blogfest.
your newest follower,
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
That's a great story. It's wonderful to hear of other authors persevering.
Thanks everyone. I'm so far behind in the social media world, but hope to start catching up. I'm excited to read more writers' origins posts!
Such a wonderful story! just continue create story!
Thanks, Jeremy.
I'm finally getting around to all of these. I'm so far behind, but reading some great posts. Yeah!
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