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My Writing Journey


One day, when I was a wee thing of nine years old, I got the spark of an idea to attempt my hand at writing. Grabbing a colorful Lisa Frank notebook and a sharpened pencil, I headed out into the evening summer air and started a tale of a girl and her horse.

And that's how a whole new world opened up for me.

What a joy it was! Creating, bringing made up people to life, turning the imaginings in my head into words on a page. I had always loved to read, why had I never before thought of writing my own stories? My life took an entirely new turn inside that Lisa Frank notebook.

A year later, I was introduced to the world of Tolkien. Little Hobbits off saving the world? Beautiful elves? Grand adventures? Heroic men and women roaming a world so strange and different and wondrous? Peter Pan had always been a childhood favorite, as well as fairytales and just about anything otherworldly I could get my hands on. But this was something I had yet to discover. This was fantasy at its core. And from that moment on, I was in love with elves and dragons and knights in shining armor and splendid castles and magical forests. I had fallen in love with fantasy.

And so my little story about a girl and her horse got shoved into a drawer and forgotten as I delved into something much bigger and grander and fantastical. I knew I never wanted to go back. Fantasy was my genre. Exploring mystical worlds and curious beings aroused something in me that no other genre has. So fantasy I wrote.

The idea of attempting publishing had always been there, but it more floated in my mind as a dream, not guided my steps as a tangible goal. I loved writing, I did, but I never took it as seriously as I should.

Then, in 2010, I took on my first NaNoWriMo. Oh, what a grand adventure that was! I flew across the pages of a novel like never before, living and breathing writing for 30 days in full. And when November was finished, I kept on writing until that book was finished. As I wrote that last line, a thrill tingled down my very being. And at that moment I knew without a doubt: That was what I wanted to do with my life. Write.

And thus the insanity began. Writers are by nature insane creatures, and I embraced it full force. I began studying the craft, writing more books, discovering editing wasn't as horrendously daunting as I feared, and put nearly all my energy in this crazy venture.

Fantasy was still, and always will be, my favorite genre, but in 2013 I took a huge leap and tentatively stepped out of my comfort zone. Why, writing something entirely different was fun! I liked it, a lot. Shock of shocks! So I stepped a bit farther out, and then threw caution to the wind and tried whatever my Muse got the whim to toss my way. I went from only ever writing medieval/high fantasy to trying steampunk to dystopian! Taking the leap out of my comfort zone was the best thing I ever did for my writing.

Now I'm continuing to write and write and write and, um, oh yeah, write. I stalk writing blogs like a fiend, read whatever I can get my hands on, and WRITE.

Doubts and worries plague me, boy do they ever! But that's all just part of the journey of a writer. God put this passion inside me and I cannot let fear drive it out. Writing is what I want to do, it's what I love to do, and nothing can ever make me stop. I love to write, and have every intention of doing so until my fingers are too old and withered to bang out the words on my keyboard.

14 comments:

  1. I love how our passions show up so early in life! I think I made my first novel attempt at eight??? And I've been working on my one, all-consuming project (the one I just finished for NaNo) since I was eleven.

    Even before that, though, my love of writing had showed up. I was an avid journaler since age six and I had a peculiar tendency to communicate with family members through notes instead of simply approaching them to talk about something! Doubtless they thought I was mental or something... Now we all know why!

    I also played soooo much pretend - now I realize I love to act. So sometimes even though little kids/teenagers/young adults don't know what "they've always wanted to do" but if you look back, you CAN see a pattern, which I think is just awesome!

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    1. YES. Isn't it amazing? It's like God giving us little nudges toward His plans for our lives, and I just love it!

      That is SO awesome you started at eight years old! And that you've FINISHED YOUR NOVEL. Meep. I'm so excited for you!

      Lol! I love how you gave notes to your family, that is so cute! And yes, we writers appear mental to the non-writer eye. (Okay, maybe because we ARE mental, but in the good way!)

      Pretend was my faaaave! Creating stories and pretending to live in fantasy lands has been a passion since long before I discovered writing. Like you said, our passions show up early. ^_^ I love how you've seen the pattern of what you love to do now. It's just fascinating!

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    2. Definitely!

      Pretend... was my life.

      It's so funny because I was so worried (be warned: I was a veeeery precocious child) about what I would "be" when I grew up. I mean, FARMER OR ROCK STAR WHICH DO I CHOOSE IT'S SO HASRD!!! And then it hit me - I pretended to be a farmer, I pretended to be a rock star, I pretended to be a horse, a dog, a cowboy in the Wild, Wild West. But it wasn't the farming or the singing or the riding bucking broncos that appealed to me... It was the pretending.

      It's just storytelling of a different kind, really. Probably all authors were into playing pretend as kids (and therefore have considerable acting talent; we're also quite dramatic, I think, so that helps!)...

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    3. Okay, that is the cutest story! And I LOVE how you came to the conclusion it wasn't the THINGS you were pretending that you loved, it was the actual PRETENDING. That is just brilliant!

      I suspect you're right. All us writers started out playing make-believe like crazy as kids. And we definitely have the flare for the dramatic. I know I do! XD

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    4. Ha! I have a million of 'em! I was such a weird little kid...

      Makes sense, doesn't it? We love stories. :)

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  2. Oh my goodness!!! Your story is so inspirational!! <3
    I started writing about two years ago, and it just kinda stuck. My sister had been pursuing her dreams of being an author, so I was like, "Hey! I might as well try." I did, and I'm SUPER GLAD! xD

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    1. I think that the books that have most inspired me on my writing journey are Peter Pan, the whole Narnia series, and Little Women. (I am ashamed to admit that I have yet to read The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings... *sobs*)

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    2. AWWWWWW! I'm glad you think so! ^_^

      I'm SO happy you started writing and it stuck. Writing is such a magical thing.

      PETER PAN AND NARNIA. YESSSSSH. Some of my favorites EVER. Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Lords of the Rings/The Hobbit are the three things that shaped me the most. And Narnia is one of the most wonderfullest things in the universe. <3 I love Little Women too! Such a great story!

      Oooooh, you need to read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings! The Hobbit especially. LotR can be...a bit of a heavy read. I mean, I LOVE it, but it takes some time to get through. But The Hobbit is a quick, easy read and PERFECTION.

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    3. 'Tis quite!!!!
      Peter Pan is awesome 'case - Ha! - Neverland is AWESOME! And Peter Pan is a very curious person. (Both ways - lolzy!) I love the idea of being able to go to a different world, so that's why I love Peter Pan and Narnia so much. Plus, Aslan is AWESOME!!! *flails*
      I NEED TO READ IT SO MUCH!!! My aunt (who lives next door) has both of the books and is trying to get me to read them. I will read them ASAP!!!! O-o

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    4. The idea of going to different worlds is the BESSSST!!!! I basically love ANY story that has that kind of plot.

      YES YOU DO!!! If you ever read them, you'll have to let me know what you thought. ^_^

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  3. I couldn’t help but grin; my first writing project began in a Lisa Frank notebook. I was 11, though... my Lisa Frank stage went a little long. Your writing journey is so fantastic—it’s simple, yet inspired, and you’ve put so much work into everything over the years. It’s extremely inspiring :D

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    1. Fellow Lisa Frank user, yes! *high-fives* I love that!

      Awww! Thank you! I probably should update this page, I haven't look at it in a while. *sheepish grin* But your words have touched me. I'm honored you find my story inspiring! Thank you for telling me that. It means a lot! <3

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  4. Thank you for sharing, Christine! Fantasy and writing have always been passions of mine as well, and I find that it’s in the beautiful little things of life that we are most influenced—like your story!

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    1. Thank YOU for commenting, Astrya! I don't use this blog anymore, I've moved over to here: https://christinesmithauthor.com/ But I was so honored to see this comment pop up! It's the best finding likeminded writers who hold such a passion for it. I could not agree more--the smallest things can have the most beautiful impact on the world. It is an incredible thing! Stories are so important.

      Thank you again for visiting and commenting!

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