Do You Dream of Being a Real Writer Like I Do?
Follow your dreams
6 years old
I dreamt of being a writer at age 6. I had just started reading books by my favorite author, Enid Blyton. The easiest ones were about the naughty rag doll Amelia Jane who was always in trouble. I did feel sorry for her.
Oh, what magic Enid possessed, I marveled. How did she come up with these characters and worlds? I wanted to live in those worlds. I wanted to be that type of writer.
That’s why my Medium profile photo is of me at age 6. It lends me a bit of anonymity to write freely, as I look nothing like that now with my severe myopia and thinning, hair.
7 years old
My mum tells me that my composition titled My Home was featured in my primary school magazine which amazes me. It was very simple and only a few lines. I might have been 7 years old by then.
I only have a hazy memory of it and wonder why I was not more excited. Perhaps I was always put down by the teachers and was filled with fear. I never thought I was worthy. It is why it’s said that school ruins a child’s creativity.
14 years old
My Literature teacher made multiple copies of an essay I wrote on Wordsworth that she distributed to the students in secondary 3. I was gobsmacked. Again I was in disbelief. It felt surreal. A peak I reached that I’ll never forget.
24 years old
At work, I helped to edit a photo-heavy biography of an esteemed professor and was included as one of the writer editors. Honestly didn’t feel I should get credit. My older colleagues did more than I did but generously gave me equal billing. I lucked out in my work life with some angelic colleagues I’ll always be grateful for. Early in my career. I had no clue they would be unicorns.
27 years old
At my next job, corporate communication pieces I wrote were published by the Ministry of Health. Even then, I didn’t feel like a real writer.
34 years old
I self-published on Google’s Blogspot and later WordPress, starting in 2005.
40 years old
I bought my domain in 2011 and crossed two million views since but did nothing in terms of monetization as I was rejected by Google Ad Sense and didn’t like how messy blogs with pop-up ads looked. I felt that adverts would compromise my integrity.
I wrote about being a tourist in my own country, but I didn’t want to be an influencer. This term seemed derogatory and awful. My dream was to be a writer.
I continued blogging till I switched to Medium in April this year. I felt like a blogger, but a writer? I wasn’t so sure.
41 years old
I guess the first time I felt like I was closer to my dream was when I was approached by someone who had read my WordPress blog in 2012, and asked if I was willing to be one of the writers for their company.
It was a French company selling beautiful baby products, including clothes, based in Singapore. There were 3 of us selected. The other writers were parents so I’m not quite sure why I was included. I’m grateful though and felt blessed that something just landed in my lap like this.
I was paid $20 per article and it made me feel closer to being a real writer. Real writers get paid for their work.
Unfortunately, the company did not survive and this saddened me. I guess it’s a hard market to crack when they were so many cheap imitation products available online.
52 years old
Finally joining Medium has made me feel the closest to a real writer as I’m now rubbing shoulders with fabulous writers.
I’m learning so much from you. I feel honored that some of you may consider me a friend as I do you.
In August, I earned more than I ever could have imagined. It was due to a boosted post on 22nd July and the change of rates in August 2023.
An online magazine Your Tango approached me to ask if they could reprint my article. They added me as an author on their site and that sure made me feel great. I was truly excited then. It felt better than getting paid. Was I a real writer now?
It always felt to me that a real writer had to be published by a traditional publishing house and given what they call an advance. A real writer had to have a book published and in a bookstore. Even if just one person bought it. Or have your article appear in a magazine or newspaper. These are the lofty heights I have yet to reach but I’m not throwing in the towel yet.
Fiction vs Non-Fiction
I have yet to attempt fiction. The last time was compositions in school. I never mustered the courage, and true stories based on my reality came to me more easily. I tend to gravitate towards stories based on real-life experiences. I am drawn to memoirs.
Favorite Authors
This is why my favorite books as an adult, include those by these authors:
- Travel Literature by Paul Theroux, Bill Bryson, and Peter Mayle
- Memoir by Laura Ingalls Wilder and V S Naipaul
- Historical Fiction by Hilary Mantel and John Steinbeck
- Non Fiction by Salman Rushdie, Jon Krakauer and Haruki Murakami
- Science Fiction by Kazuo Ishiguro and Kurt Vonnegut
- True Crime by Truman Capote
- Novels by E M Forster that touch on class divisions.
- Psychological Fiction by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The list keeps growing as I get older and am able to appreciate more with life experience. I’m still on my lifelong writer journey, but I’m definitely an ardent reader.
I’m keen to know. When did you feel like you were a real writer?