The beginning

It probably sounds a bit cliche to say that I’ve always wanted to be a writer. It certainly seems as though every person who says, “I’ve wanted to be a ____, (insert occupation here),” utilizes similar phrases. I tend to fight the urge to roll my eyes whenever I hear it. Maybe there’s something to that, though.

Perhaps the earliest inceptions of our desires occur when we’re extremely young. As if our little souls had already chosen a profession, or a purpose, rather, before birth. And when our earliest sense of self has been activated, we begin to dream of possibilities. We begin to exhibit signs of talent and/or a keen interest in the desires that would later form into a hobby or full-time job.

As soon as I learned to string letters together to form into words/ phrases, and eventually, concepts, I’d discovered one of my passions. Arguably the most prominent one. In my early years, I devoured any type of written publication I could get my hands on. All types of books, magazines, and the TV Guide! I’d resort to reading the dictionary, thesaurus and encyclopedia set when I ran out of other source material. Even the entirety of cereal boxes while I ate. I couldn’t get enough.

I recall being assigned homework in grade school where we would have to compose our own poems or short stories. Receiving encouragement from teachers, and winning a local contest kept the spark alive in me.

Being a part of the large numbers of working-class Americans laid off in 2008-’10 recession, I rediscovered my love of writing. Composing my first long form novel(s), and partial screenplays. In 2013, I made a leap to self-publish my first book, Baghatur, partnered with a small company. Although the company wasn’t a good fit for me, I learned a lot about the business of publishing. I also learned a lot about my own standards and creativity.

After pulling my rights back, this story sat unpublished for years. What made me decide to get back out there? A number of life transitions helping me to discover new aspects of myself. And, of course, after transitioning my children into adulthood, I had a bit more time to focus on my dreams. I gave Baghatur a makeover, commissioned other artists and small business owners to help me push the re-release of this story.

Write your natural born talent into the comment section below! It doesn’t have to be ‘artsy’.

M.M.W.