When did you know you were a writer? (An invitation)
Hi Everyone,
There comes a moment when you know you’re a writer. Maybe it was those few words of encouragement from a beloved teacher? Or a friend who read your story and took it seriously, no matter its flaws? Or maybe it was reading a favorite author who spoke to you so directly that they implicitly welcomed you into the tribe.
I was in third grade when my mother started reading my diaries—and she read them very regularly despite my elaborate attempts at hiding them (under the mattress, in the lining of my winter coat, etc.). By the time I was in high school I was fabricating the most outlandish tales in their pages, for her benefit. Despite her ongoing denials, I knew this much: she was my first and most avid reader.
Please feel free to share your own stories!
Abrazos,
Cristina
It was a diary for me, as well. As a child I had vivid daydreams which I didn't share with anyone. To be honest, I thought I was a little bit crazy because the daydreams where quite detailed and seemed very real. I began keeping a diary. The entries morphed. I began putting down on paper the adventures I had in my head, and realized I was writing stories. Still, it took decades before I dared share my stories with anyone.
My sixth grade English teacher liked a story of mine so much that she asked me if she could read it to the class. After sharing it with all my peers (it was a murder mystery involving many of them), she submitted it to a competition that was hosted by the Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition. I won first place and was gifted a pen and pencil with the fair's logo. It's still one of my most prized possessions.