Me As A Writer

When I was a little girl, my mother would read to me quite often. From children’s books to scripture stories, I always loved listening to her. She was willing to read at any time and also encouraged us to read on our own. I still love to read, with a particular interest in children’s story books. These are the best kind of books because they are so creative and funny, not to mention the great illustrations that are usually included. I first found a desire to learn how to write from the interest I had in books and reading what others had written.


At one time in my life I wanted to grow up to be an author. However, after trying to write a real book of my own with chapters and everything, I became discouraged. It was hard to write anything so long. By the time I was half-way through the plot, I realized that I only had a couple of typed pages. This is about when I gave up and decided that I didn’t enjoy writing enough to spend my life doing it.


As I’ve had cousins and brothers leave on missions, often several at the same time, I’ve gained experience through sending letters to them on a regular basis as well as receiving letters that have changed the way that I now write.


While I was younger, I tried to keep a journal several times but soon missed one or two days and then forgot about it for months, usually only writing in it when I was upset over something dramatic that had happened to me. Now I write in a journal almost every day.


Just recently, I helped some children, whom I babysit often, to make up a story of their own, using them as the main characters and pictures we drew together. The three of them are, of course, the heroes, and they decided what they wanted to happen in it. I have plans to put it all together in a cute little storybook for them.


I write best when I have plenty of time. If I have a long enough period to think about the topic before I start, I normally don’t have too much trouble writing. I generally write everything out long-hand first before I type it. This is because I prefer to write in my bedroom or outside where I can be alone. Our computer is in the kitchen where everyone can see it, which doesn’t bother me if I’ve finished writing, but it distracts me if I am still in the middle of writing. I have learned to love writing through many fun experiences.