"When I grow up, I'm going to..."

[jennifer_d_g]

I have been writing for about five or six years, and when people ask me how I got started, I always tell them about the time I met Korean-American author Helie Lee who said to me, "You've got a story to tell, you should write it," and so I did. We were living in Costa Rica at the time and I wrote a children's novel that was loosely based on our

Comments

[jennifer_d_g]

It's not corny at all, Melodye. And I have no doubt at all that the base of it all for you is Love. That's what makes you so good at all of what you do. <3

[mirtlemist]

Not always, but the idea does go back a ways. One of my 7th grade teachers woke a spark in me when she raved in front of the entire class about a journal I had written as a required assignment. I had delayed and finally sat down and wrote a month's worth of entries in one night, just sat down and let words pour forth. I don't have the faintest memory now what all I said, nor did I keep a copy, but her praise left an impression. When people continued to comment on my writing, and when I later tested out of a college English course on the basis of it, it fanned the spark a bit more. It wasn't until about six years ago, though, that I finally buckled down and got serious. I guess it has always been in the back of my mind, waiting for me to notice.

[jennifer_d_g]

Oh, yeah, the signs were there for you, Terri. A teacher raving about a month-long journal that you wrote in one night? Heck yeah, you're a writer.

[robinellen]

Great Jennifer story :)

I've always wanted to get paid to read. I never really considered writing (other than technical writing or journalism) until I was in my 20s. I always assumed I couldn't write an entire book of fiction ;)

[jennifer_d_g]

You assumed you couldn't write a book and then you started putting out two or so a year. You must laugh at your former self for ever doubting!

[jennifer_d_g]

Wow, what an awakening! You must have had some hints along the way, maybe some things you've forgotten.

[fandoria]

I've wanted to be a writer ever since I was 8. That desire never changed, but as I got older, when asked that question I started answering first with, "I want to work for NASA" and then with "I want to teach special education" because too many people had told me that writing wasn't a real job and I'd never have success. Then I got married and had my son and decided to be a stay-at-home mom and thought to myself, why not try to be a writer again? It's not like I'm going to do the other things I said I would and writing is what I wanted most anyway. So that's what I've been doing and even though I'm not published yet, I'm still very happy and feel like I'm living my dream already.

[jennifer_d_g]

I can totally understand how being a stay-at-home mom would inspire writing. I remember the moments of super, intense focus and then the moments of quiet. It's the moments in between those two that make for good writing. I think that just finding that writing peace is living a dream.