Dear Writer

Dear Katra: You’ll Outgrow This Name

But you’ll never outgrow writing.

You’re so Brave

You’re only thirteen, but already you’ve fashioned a persona for yourself. You’ve told your longtime friends to stop calling you ‘Katrina’, that you go by ‘Katra’ now. You’re a living character, wearing clothes similar to the elves in Lord of the Rings and throwing out Rachel’s catchphrase “Let’s do it!” from Animorphs. You spend hours on the computer, writing stories about Cho Chang or Duo Maxwell, weaving your own characters (and yourself) into the pages.

As the older you, I want you to know that I’m so proud of you, thirteen-year-old Katrina (sorry, Katra). You’re living the dream that I want for myself.

You’re weaving worlds you’ve imagined and worlds you’ve read about into your being. Your personality is wild and random and open to new things. You don’t care if other people think you’re strange for wearing the same outfit every day, or if you spend your lunches writing in a journal. You are brave enough to show everyone you’re still figuring yourself out.

I haven’t been so courageous.

The Expectations of Life Get in the Way

Eventually, it’ll be too exhausting to keep exploring for yourself. The pressures fitting in, of finishing college, of making money will erode your passion for writing, of saying odd things and wearing the same khaki skirt every day. You start thinking more about what other people want for you than what you want for yourself. You worry more about your actions and how they’ll be perceived. You do more thinking than doing.

What was once the center of your universe, being You, will be cast aside like Pluto, forgotten, left to circle the cold edges of existence.

You stop writing. You stop dreaming. You stop getting to know yourself.

It goes on for over a decade. You focus on completing your college degree (and you end up getting two plus a minor!) You study hard to pass your licensing exams and find a steady, well-paying job. You find a partner who supports you and loves you. You get your own apartment and check off all the adult things, and you do them well.

But in those exhausting graveyard shifts, in those hours spent figuring out your budget, in that repeating schedules of sleep, work, eat, repeat, you feel an empty space, a pain you can’t reconcile.

And you forget that there’s something you’ve left behind.

But Don’t Give Up

My advice to you, little Katra, is to keep pushing. Keep writing, even if it’s a paragraph in a month, even if it’s an angry outburst in your journal. Keep reading, because those stories you read will morph into a unique plot in your mind. Keep conversing with yourself and learning about YOU. You’re brilliant and engaging and like the sun, where stories revolve around you.

There will be pushback. From family, from friends, from your own mind. You may compare your work to other famous authors, or even the friends beside you who spin words just as skillfully. You will wonder if this is even worth it. If it’s something even worth trying.

But I say try. Mayhaps you’ll fail, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try again. Keep trying. Keep on keeping on.

You hold the power to create worlds, universes, alternate realities. Cherish this ability, and share it with those around you. Your words will catch fire and clear away even the densest clouds of doubt.

You will succeed. Because I will succeed for you.

So let’s get started.

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