How I Got Started Writing and What I Would Change If I Could Do It Over

I started reading at the age of 4 and my parents were stunned because I pretty much taught myself after watching a few episodes of Sesame Street and having my Gramma read to me at night.

From the time I picked up my first book, I was hooked. I knew that I wanted to be the one that told stories to others and I wanted to be the one that people read in a news publication. I now actually write professionally, but I will get into that more later!

Forging A Path From A Young Age

The first time that I was published was at the age of 6 when I wrote poetry for a local charity that was looking for young writers to add to a poetry book that they were producing to raise money for the local animal shelter.

Photo by pan xiaozhen on Unsplash

Age requirements for the contest were 8-14 but I submitted my work anyway and told them that I was 8. Imagine my poor mothers surprise when she got the call that I was to be published in a book of poetry as long as she gave them permission because I was legally a minor (under 18)! Thankfully, my mother never told them my age and I was published alongside other brilliant young writers.

I was published many more times over the years because I would enter every writing contest that I could find. I was an avid reader and writer, my bedroom was full of books and pages that I had written of poetry or the latest short story that I had dreamt up.

At night, I would tell my sisters stories before bed because they loved the characters that I made up and could see them vividly in my minds eye as if they were live flesh and standing next to us. As the girls got older, we would take turns telling stories with the characters that I had made up. It was a fun little game that we played.

Joining a Newspaper Team

I was encouraged by my English teacher in middle school to join the newspaper and the Yearbook Club because they needed writers so I joined and learned so much about storytelling in such a way that captures the readers attention.

I learned that you have to cater to your target audience and speak in a way that they understand and relate to. If you write in language that is simple when writing to college educated professionals then you may not be able to hold their attention whereas if you are speaking to middle school/high schoolers you would need to use jargon that they understand while maybe not using big words.

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

I wrote all kinds of articles for the school newspapers on whatever topic I could get approved by the faculty member that served as our editor. Anything from the junk cafeteria food to the fundraisers of the Key Club to the businesses downtown that were closing their doors and why. I wanted to be able to diversify what I worked on so I did and still do to this day. Because having a broad range of experience can help a writer to hone his/her skills.

What I Would Change

First of all, if I could go back in time to then, I would not have stopped writing. Because I did stop writing for many years and went off to join the military. I loved my time in the military and learned so much while being able to experience so many new things.

But, I gave up writing because I had been told that a career in writing was unsustainable. And, maybe, it would have been unsustainable but I still should have stuck it out and at least tried it anyway.

Second, I would’ve kept the works that I had been published in. I don’t have any of my childhood publications because I had expected my parents to keep them but we moved around so much that they got lost over the years and those publications aren’t available anymore as far as I know.

Third, I would’ve written my stories down to keep them for later. I was a natural born storyteller as a child and would tell everyone a story of a fantasy character that was off facing some sort of adversity but I rarely recorded those stories so most of them have been lost because I don’t remember them anymore.

Fourth, I wouldn’t have let anyone discourage me from chasing my dreams but I’m grateful for the experiences that I have had!

Fifth, I would have taught others how to tell stories and how to write because I really did have so much fun teaching my siblings how to share the creativity that was in their own minds.

Sixth, I would have taken more writing courses during the course of my formal education. I took many writing classes in high school but I wish I had focused more on writing in college, instead I focused on learning finance.

Everything in life happens for a reason and the experiences that I have had have given me more to write about from a different angle. Everything that has happened in my life has led to this point and I couldn’t be more grateful.

One thing that I would encourage anyone that’s reading this is to go after your dreams no matter what, even if it takes time to realize those dreams fully.

Have you not chased a dream before? Did you ever go back and try to start over? How did you deal with it? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading!

Ivy

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