So… I thought I’d add a small section about myself, my likes and dislikes, hobbies maybe, as well as how I got into writing.
According to my family, I started writing when I was ten years old. I only know this because we found a two-page, handwritten story in a box of my grandmother’s keepsakes, which we were given after her death. Unfortunately I don’t remember the story, or even writing it, but most of it was definitely in my handwriting. Part of it appears to be written in my grandmother’s handwriting, so maybe it was a collaboration. No idea.
You might say my love of writing comes from my love of reading. Growing up, I remember reading everything I could get my hands on. We made weekly trips to the library, and each time I would bring home a dozen books, which was the maximum the library would let us take out at one time. There were summer contests at the library for who could read the most books, and I remember taking second place. The only reason I didn’t win first prize was because I started late. We didn’t find out about the contest until halfway through the summer. I think I was twelve years old at the time.
By the time I reached high school I was very much into reading westerns (Louis L’Amour and Zane Grey mostly), so that’s what I wrote. I created a western code name to write under – Billy the Kid. My English teacher was probably the most influential person during that time. She gave me the tools to put my words on paper, and encouraged me to keep writing, even if only for myself.
I like to think I’ve come a long way since then. For one, I no longer write westerns, although I still like to read them. My interests have changed. My writing style has definitely changed and hopefully improved. But, my love for reading and writing has only gotten stronger.
Writing is in my blood and in my head. I can no more ignore the words bouncing around in my skull than I can my stomach’s need for food. The stories are there, and they demand to be written, whether anyone else reads them or not.
I hope you will read them. I hope you enjoy them enough to keep coming back. And, maybe, this will inspire someone else to write their own stories.
Words In My Head 