What Made Me Start To Write

Summary

The author recounts their journey to becoming a writer, influenced by childhood reading, school essays, and the catalyst of social media engagement.

Abstract

The author reflects on the origins of their writing passion, tracing it back to early childhood with the enjoyment of books like Enid Blyton's "The Famous Five" and "Secret Seven." English essays in school further nurtured this interest. The advent of the internet and platforms like Facebook provided a new outlet for their writing, which initially focused on humorous personal anecdotes. As the author engaged with political and news events, their writing evolved to include more thought-provoking content. The author also experimented with creative writing, notably a comedic piece about inept serial killers, which served as a therapeutic outlet. The process of writing has allowed the author to express both light and dark thoughts, finding comfort in shared experiences and envisioning a future of continued growth.

Opinions

The author believes that a love for writing can be innate as well as cultivated through experiences like reading and education.
They credit the internet and social media, particularly Facebook, for providing a platform to develop their writing skills and connect with an audience.
The author values humor in their writing, often at their own expense, and sees it as a way to engage readers.
Writing is seen as a form of personal freedom, allowing the expression of a full range of emotions and thoughts, from the joyful to the dark.
The author suggests that writing and sharing one's experiences can be therapeutic and comforting, both for the writer and the readers.
They view their current stage in writing as a transitional phase, akin to a young bird's first flight, and remain optimistic about their future growth as a writer.

What Made Me Start To Write

Leaving The Safe Space And Learning To Fly

Is a love of writing given by nature or nurture. I suspect probably both. Even as a child I’d always liked books and reading and very readily devoured Enid Blyton’s “The Famous Five” and the “Secret Seven”, the latter seeming to have endless meetings in the garden shed to solve a mystery. These books were written in times before I was born but still I enjoyed them and savoured every one.

English at School was one of my favourite subjects. I always enjoyed essays and the seeds were probably sown there. In the dim mists of time I can still picture my English exercise book and my squiggly writing in it.

Onwards in life I went. Along came the Internet and Mr Zuckerberg with a brand spanking new thingy called Facebook. I decided to join. My posts were full of humour or at least humour at my expense due to being trampled by various sheep, nearly pulled over the fence by the odd cow here and there and trodden on by horses which I might say is a crushing blow when you’ve only got flip flops on. More than crushing, its excruciating and in my experience horses tend not to apologise either. And then with certain political and news events of the day I began writing other things. Outpourings came from my head that touched people and made them think.

On reflection Facebook and a flock of errant sheep have been a good training ground for me. I’ve been able to write posts and thoroughly enjoyed myself whilst doing it.

I’ve even had a go at an online Creative Writing Course. Anyone reading about my character’s would have probably sent me for an immediate psychiatric assessment. Is it really normal to write a comedy about failed serial killers?! For completeness I’ll give this actually quite likeable duo a mention. Mr Lechter had made a few kills but quite frankly had been an utter failure, he’d been reduced to working in a Butchers shop where he had unlimited access to entrails and was a damned good meat cutter. His sidekick Dracula fared no better really, he’d had a few blood sucking successes but due to utter ineptitude had been reduced to hospital portering on the night shift and due to a Doctor that chose to look the other way Dracula had unlimited access to the blood bank. Desperate times, desperate measures and all that. Probably in the interests of my mental health I might not pursue Dracula and Mr Lechter and I certainly don’t want them pursuing me!

And writing has given me freedom. Yes, I can write happy clappy things but I can also write the dark thoughts as well. Things that make me sad, things that I can say to no-one else. Things that I need to say and things that maybe some people need to read. I’ve gained a lot of comfort by reading various things on here and in other parts of the Internet and I can think “it’s okay, it’s okay for me to feel like that, it’s part of the experience for others as well”.

Writing can set you free and writing can make you fly. I’m currently like that little bird that has made the first fluttering hop from the safety of the nest to a nearby branch.

And whatever may come, God willing I shall soar.