Why did you start writing? Why are you still writing?

@arien I feel like I have a similar backstory to you (also yay, Boxcar Children!! I love that series)—can’t remember exactly when/why I started to write. I read a ton as a kid, and played pretend with my brothers almost as much, so it just seemed a natural progressions of things. And no need to be ashamed of a cowgirl + horse phase! I definitely had a horse girl phase also, and was writing a western-inspired fantasy book last year!

Now…it’s complicated, as moth things are, I suppose. It’s such an amazing feeling creating a story out of nothing, you know? Plus it lets me process my experiences in a unique way. (I actually feel like I went through a period of writer’s block when I first started talking about my emotions in depth, first with my then-boyfriend and later with a counselor. But now it’s like, since I don’t have to rely only on writing to process what I’m feeling, I feel a lot less ~weird~ about my writing and am able to approach it a lot more confidently/clearly. Anyway, anyone who knows me knows that I’m  just an advocate for therapy in general 😛 And writing can definitely be a wonderful therapeutic practice!)

@arien

And I wrote some stories about my stuffed animals. Later I tried to write a novel about a cowgirl. *hides in shame* I was a horse-crazy 8 or 9-yr-old, okay?

Don’t hide! That’s really sweet! 😀 My sister is nine and horse-crazy too!!

I started writing because I had stories to tell. Even before I knew how to write, I made up stories in my head and imagined all sorts of things. I also played make believe every minute I got, which gave me a chance to “live” the stories I had in my head.

The first real story I started writing was with my brother and sister. It was about three families who lived on ranches in Nevada (we each wrote about one family) and they had oodles of children. (Like thirteen or something.) We had so much fun with it and that’s what really showed me how exciting writing can be.

Why am I still writing?

(mind if I share something a bit personal?)

For a while I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, and I felt confused and conflicted about all the paths I could take. At that point writing was one of my many hobbies, any of which I could have expanded and turn into a “career”. I prayed about them, but nothing really stood out. Also I wanted to help spread God’s truth in this dark world, but I didn’t know how any of my hobbies could do that.

As writing slowly morphed into something more than a hobby, I mentally prepared to give it up, expecting God to show me that “big” thing that I was meant to do. When Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb of this year, I thought maybe I was suppose to go to Europe and help the refugees. But that was not to be.

I began realizing that God doesn’t measure people’s service to Him by “big” or “small”. He calls us each to serve Him where He has placed us, and the foreign missionary’s calling is just as meaningful as the daughter who washes the breakfast dishes for her family. The reason why I’m still writing is because I really enjoy it, and I think this is what God wants me to do. He has blessed me with some great writing friends (including one who shares my name that I met randomly providentially at a camp) and has opened doors for me to learn about this craft (KP and all you guys!!!) I’m so thankful!!!!

So if anyone out there is struggling with what to do with their lives, pray about it, and God will show you. Remember, often God has us right where we need to be, right in front of what we were born to do, but we don’t see it because we’re looking out and away where all the “big” opportunities are. We are where we are for a purpose, and all of God’s purposes are BIG and BEAUTIFUL!!

@arien

Awesome topic idea!! I’ve been meaning to start something like this, but you did it for me!!

So, pretty much for as long as I can remember, I loved anything to do with stories!! I wrote them in school or for fun; my bff and I would play games after church about stories we made up; and I enjoyed putting on plays. I just loved it!! That continued on until now. About 10, I noticed that I could write longer stories… books!! So I tried… and never actually finished one. Probably at the age of 11 1/2 I discovered KP. Their articles helped me sooooo much! It really showed me so much about writing and what it really is! It showed me the endless possibilities of writing. That really inspired me. So I tried to write a fantasy novel and a sci-if novel, both of which were never finished. Finally, I decided that I would start writing a book and finish it… and I did!! At the age of 12, I finished writing the first book in my Refined Duology! (Which has currently been put aside for a very… very long time. 😅) Sometime before turning thirteen, I started writing my dystopian trilogy, which is still going strong! I won’t hesitate to say that Kingdom Pen influenced my writing the most. It really opened up the possibilities in the world of writing!!

Why I still write?

Well, because the world needs fiction that is clean, but not cheesy. It needs God-honoring books that aren’t preachy. They need truth! Sure, some books out there do have really good themes, but they have no basis for why that is right or good. Being a Christian writer enables me to write strong truths, (specifically for young adults), that are built upon the Bible. No matter if my books ever become best-sellers, I’ll be confident in knowing that whoever read it was introduced or reminded of God’s truths.

I also keep writing just because I enjoy it!! I absolutely adore writing!! (even though I’m not always consistent doing it XP) It’s something that let’s be create worlds and characters and be creative!!

@arien I don’t know why I write overall. Most stuff I write is fanfiction, and I just write that because I love exploring ideas I have about characters I like…….

My Rexy series was inspired by the fact that I have autism, and that I hate it when people call it a “disability.” Like, there is nothing that stops me from living a normal-ish life. So I wrote a picture book about a dinosaur with a speech problem, got it self-published on Amazon, and it really took off from there!

But yes, I’d love to see more God-honoring fiction like The Wingfeather Saga or The Green Ember. Maybe I’ll write one someday! (Christian fanfiction? is that even possible?)

@arien @esther-c @lewilliams @keilah-h @felicity @mineralizedwritings @sarafini

Wow, all of y’all’s stories are so inspiring 😊😍!!
So, I’ve always loved reading. Even when I was little enough to not know how to read, I would sit in the floor with a picture book and try to read to myself and my mama.
When I was about eleven, I was on a zoom call with my friends from a book club, and they started talking about their books! I was shocked and excited. I had no idea that someone could write a book. Just a few months earlier, I had read the saddest book my 11 year old self had ever read, “The Yearling,” about a deer fawn and a boy. I came up with a happier version of the yearling, and called it The White Fawn. And that’s how I started writing.

Why I’m still writing? Well, that’s easy! I love it, and it’s something I’m good at. And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how most regular YA and middle fiction is just trash!! No good morals, they’re depressing and saddening. And I want to be able to write good, uplifting, and inspiring stories for teens to read without worrying. Thanks for letting me rant! 😊