Writing

Writing has been my passion since I was ten years old and wrote my first short story.  It was the longest story I had ever written, and was loosely based on the story of the Donner party tragedy.

From that point on, my writing was largely fiction.  I loved starting with just one sentence as a starting point, and allowing it to take me places where I had never dreamed of actually going.  I learned to do research about places, so that my stories would be historically and geographically correct.

I took all the writing classes I could in high school, and especially loved a Creative Writing class that was offered my senior year.  I also signed up for Yearbook and the school newspaper.  Anything to be writing was my goal.

In college, I took English Composition I and almost lost my love of writing because of the instructor.  The man who taught my class was a really strange duck, who loved complex compound sentences and considered us simple-minded if we wrote simple sentences.  He had a horrible temper and if someone interrupted his classes or lectures, he would throw books and other objects at them.  I quickly learned not to sit in a direct line with the door to the classroom after several near misses from books flying through the air.  His language was not exactly ideal for teaching young impressionable students either.  I did not get a very good grade in his class, and felt like I was a failure.

The next semester, I took English Composition II and had a lady instructor who was very positive and supportive.  She loved my writing and I made excellent grades.  I got my mojo back and discovered that no teacher can force you to write in a style that does not suit you.  But a good one can reinforce your good style and make it better.

My writing after college was limited to my journaling for a long time, until I started working for the local newspaper.  My love of writing and words blossomed from that point and has never shriveled again.  I wrote a weekly column for the paper under the last editor, and even when he closed the paper, I continued to write my essays for a time.

Writers Village University was just getting started online when I first discovered it in 1998. I joined and still am a member.  A six week free fiction writing course (F2K) was started by WVU, and I took the class three times.  Eventually, I began volunteering as a mentor intern.  I served in that capacity for several sessions, then graduated to a full mentor.  I loved that unpaid job.  Watching new writers sprout from just desiring to write to become accomplished writers is so rewarding.  I just love it.

I’m not certain if there will be another session of F2K because of some personnel problems that have come up, but I really hope there will be.  I love teaching writing.  I love watching people grow from hobby writing to professional writing.  I love seeing my name and my work in print.  I love t he comments that my “fans” make.  They are so supportive.

I love writing.