Friday, November 11, 2011

It's in your blood.

You were born a writer. You may not be in fifth grade writing your first poem, or twenty attempting your first novel, but you're a writer.

I love writing. I'm a late bloomer, at twenty-five I found this beautiful opportunity to write novels and have never looked back. Looking back I saw all the tendencies, the lies, the storytelling before bed, buying as many books as money could buy.

I couldn't help myself, I wanted to write. I feel like I lost time with all the years I missed, then again I think they've given me years of ideas. I have a lot of catching up to do!

I figure there's no time like the present! I'm off to watch the latest chick flick for inspiration!

So when did you realize you want to be a writer?

31 comments:

PK HREZO said...

Enjoy your dad's wedding day! It's a gorgeous FLA day to get married. And as it happens, my wedding was Nov. 9th 2002. SO I know first hand.
Anyway, that's the beauty of writing...it's never too late to start. I've been writing stories since I was ten. Still have them too, complete with illustrations. lol

Laura Pauling said...

It was actually a few years before I acted on it. I'd dabble here and there. But this strange feeling would come over me after great movies or books and soon I followed the instinct.

Unknown said...

I've always loved to write. I was that girl in middle school who wrote poems in homeroom on scraps of paper that made their way around the school by last period. I won a Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest in the fifth grade. I started writing fiction later, once I was married, and I haven't stopped since. It's always been in me, always needed a way out. Most of the time, I only feel like "its" instrument. :))

LynnRush said...

I didn't realize it until about four years ago. Didn't grow up wanting to write or anything like that, so it was a surprise to me along with my family and friends. LOL. But I love it. I'm so glad I'm on this path.

Have a super weekend.

Anonymous said...

I've been writing stories ever since I could hold a pencil and spell words. According to my aunts and uncles (my most frequent babysitters) I was making up and telling stories verbally even before then!

Storytelling runs in my dad's family; writing runs in my mother's. In me, they came together to make me a writer of stories practically from birth!

Lindsay N. Currie said...

I've been writing since I was little:) I started with poems and then wrote a slew of horrible "choose your own ending" books LOL! But, one thing has never changed: my need to write. Good post Jen!

Lisa Aldin said...

I was also about 25 when I realized I wanted to seriously pursue writing as a career! Yeah!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I wrote some as a teen, but didn't think about becoming an author until much later. I'm a late bloomer as well but not saying how much later than you.

Connie Keller said...

I've been writing stories ever since I can remember. But it wasn't until college that I realized that I really, really wanted to write.

Creepy Query Girl said...

I always enjoyed writing. I enjoyed reading even more. But the idea to become a writer didn't come to me until after I'd settled down and been married with kids for a bit.

Matthew MacNish said...

I think I always wanted to, but I didn't start taking it seriously until a few years ago.

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Um...um...ummmm.... :-)

Abby Fowers said...

I'm a late bloomer too! Shoot - I'm 31 and just decided to finally "go for it" this summer. You're right tho - there's no time like the present. :)

Jemi Fraser said...

I always liked telling stories - especially on paper. I'd even written several long pieces of fiction for me before it ever crossed my mind that I could try writing for publication. We'll see how it turns out :)

Li said...

I guess the "formal" realization came about 2 years ago. Before that- I was a writer, I just didn't consider myself one.

Christa Desir said...

I've done it for a long time, but didn't think about doing it professionally until late (and I'm older than you!)
Sweet post, Jen.

Heather Day Gilbert said...

I've definitely had a fascination with writing from the day I learned phonics. I won an essay contest in fifth grade, which made me laugh because I whipped it up that morning before class. But the realization that I was born to write didn't hit me till a poem rolled out of me when I was about twelve.

The coolest thing on earth is seeing that all three of my children have a way with words when they write, filled with imagination and even some cool dialogue tags (which are going the way of the dinosaurs, unfortunately!). I've homeschooled them, but who knows if they picked it up from me, or they're just genetically hard-wired that way.

It's so encouraging to see any kids who love to write, and I try to push the kids in my homeschool co-op to stretch those writing muscles. Tres important for college papers!

BECKY said...

Okay...I think I'm definitely the Latest of the Late Bloomers. And I don't mean I just realized it the other day, but that I didn't realize it until I was almost 50 years old! Yikes!! But, wow! I'm loving it and honestly wondering, What the heck did I think about or do with my time before I realized I was a writer?? Great post, Jen!

Katie Ganshert said...

I just wrote all about this on my soon-to-be-launched website. But I fell in love with writing in 3rd grade when my teacher read my story about Mr. and Mrs. Leaf out loud to the class. :)

Jo-Ann said...

My writing journey has been - winding, let's say. I've always wanted to write since I could hold a pencil, and as a teen I actually got a few stories published. Then a few things happened: since it came easily, I devalued it plus I discovered boys. Result? Writing gradually stopped being a part of my life.

However, I continued to make up stories in my head. Last year (in my 40's), I decided I had wasted enough time (and YOU thought you'd wasted time, Jen???), took a brief course, and started writing seriously, doing it as a part of my routine, and jealously guarding the time put aside for it.

Tally so far: two short stories published, one competition prize, plus a few unpubbed mss (messes?) floating around, looking for a home.

Anonymous said...
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BookGeek said...

I think the above comment needs to be deleted because I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with your post? And it's SOO amazingly random, haha.

I started writing in 4th grade and haven't looked back! But it was more in college that I started to write seriously.

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

ROFL! I guess I'm a really late bloomer. I started writing five years ago when I was forty.

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

With late bloomers at 25 and 40 I guess I started from the grave at 61. :-)

LTM said...

ahh, good one. Well, I've always been writing, since you know. That's my job. But I never dreamed I'd write a book. Til about two years ago~ :D <3

Tina L. Hook said...

As a little girl. I am an even-later-bloomer. But my life experience have made me a more insightful writer. I hope.

Tina L. Hook said...

PS now following you on twitter via flgirlnewlife.

Sommer Leigh said...

I was in first grade when I wrote this story about a day in the live of a piece of postal mail. My fellow first graders wrote straight forward, into the mailbox, through the mail, to a mailbox stories.

My envelope trekked across deserts and parachuted out of planes. My teacher gave me a post-it note in the shape of a blue duck with a note that said I should grow up to be a writer. So I was like, ok. Fine. I will.

After wading for a while into journalism, I didn't know where my writing would take me until I was around 27.

Arlee Bird said...

I realized my writer aspirations when I was in the 4th grade. Then I forgot about them somewhat when I was about 30. I still thought about my writing dream over the next several years. Then I got serious again a couple years ago when I was 58. It's never too late and we're never too old.

Lee
Best selling author Lani Diane Rich visits
Tossing It Out
Wednesday November 16th.

Anonymous said...

I was in fifth or 6th grade when I knew I wanted to be a writer. I just always let life get in the way of my writing, so it has taken me a lot of years to get to the point that I'm at now.

Anonymous said...

I always knew I wanted to be a writer, I just never knew I *could* be a writer. I love that you feel like a late bloomer at 25! I started writing my first novel at 31, finished just before my 32 birthday. But I'm not looking back. I needed those years to become who I am now and I would be the writer I am today without those years of experiences.