How did I become a writer? (That is the prompt)
Once upon a time there was an inquisitive little girl who loved a good story. She was also very obsessed with unicorns. In the second grade, she took on the task of writing her very first chapter book. Each page was a new chapter and the book was about unicorns living on another planet..of course. Her teacher noticed her dedication to her manuscript and asked the young girl, "Do you enjoy writing? It seems like you do."
The girl replied, "Well, I don't really enjoy moving the pencil back and forth but I like telling stories."
You see, the young girl thought the teacher meant penmanship, a practice the young girl would never fully master. However the teacher meant writing.
The young girl grew up loving her English classes, welcoming the opportunity to write themes or journal in class. She filled the intro pages of many notebooks with ideas and settings and stories. She would love storytelling so much that she decided she wanted to tell stories about real people.
At the ripe age of 16, she wrote a story about her work at a local nursing home. She borrowed her mother's car and drove to the headquarters of the local paper. Story in hand, she walked in and asked to speak to the editor in chief. She wanted to learn, she wanted to write and she was willing to do it for free. Impressed by her gumption, the editor took her back to his office. The two talked about her goals and he offered her the opportunity to write for the paper to learn the craft of journalism. Her first assignment was a profile on one of the residents of the nursing home where she worked part-time.
The girl spent weeks working on the profile. Her subject, a woman in her 90's who didn't think anyone would want to read about herself, was a dedicated church organist who received a ride to her hometown church every Sunday. She would wear a rose colored coat while playing hymns, a pastime she really enjoyed. The young journalist, however, got caught up in high school drama, extracurricular activities and the stress of being a teenager. She was never given a firm deadline so she toyed with the story off and on.
One day, the subject of her story fell ill. She was hospitalized. This was a swift kick in the ass the young journalist needed to get the story completed. She carefully but quickly wrapped up the article and submitted it to her editor. The next day, she received devastating news. Her subject had passed away.
It was the day before the story was set to go to print. Present tense was changed to past and the profile became a tribute piece. The young journalist learned a harsh lesson about deadlines that day. She would go on to write many stories and eventually earn a spot as the youngest paid freelance journalist for the local paper.
As you've figured, that young journalist was me. At 30, I'm a corporate communications manager for a health system but my true love and passion rests with writing. I'm currently working on my first non-fiction humor book. I am a contributor to on-line platform, MOGUL and like an affair I can't shake...I am constantly looking for ways to be a journalist in today's less than certain financial times.
I'm also a staff writer and writing coach for a phenomenal storytelling company called Round Table Companies. The work I do for them brings me great joy.
So, how did I become a writer? Well, by writing about unicorns. Then about people. Journaling often and of course trying desperately to appease my insatiable appetite for reading. If I could spend the rest of my life writing stories about people, places and things, making people laugh and spreading a little bit of joy in places where it is needed most...I'd say I've fulfilled my destiny.
Until next time...
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