I was on my high school's newspaper staff my senior year. I would say that this is a significant event in my writing life because it is an example of a negative writing experience. I absolutely HATED writing for the school newspaper because there was so much pressure in deadlines. I also hated contacting people for information for my stories. It was a nightmare, but makes a statement about who I am as a writer
This is probably the most significant aspect of my writing life. During my 5th grade year, I experienced some drastic upheavals in my family life. As a result, my perception of the world changed dramatically and I had a lot of emotions. My teacher gave me a notebook and told me it helped her a lot when she wrote down her thoughts. I journaled sporadically through my adolescence, and really thought it pointless.
When I started as a freshman at UT, I picked it up again, but this time I really experienced the therapeutic properties of journaling, and write frequently to let all my thoughts out. My journal today also consists of interesting experiences, and random quotes from conversations. I guess it also serves as a form of self-entertainment. :-)
In the summer of 1997, I created my own "cookbooks". I would mostly write simple recipes to snacks and salads that I would eat at the time. I named my recipes after my favorite movie characters. Although it may sound really silly, I think these "cookbooks" were a huge part of who I was as a writer during my childhood years, and it also illustrates an example of how many writers get their ideas away from their desks.
My second grade teacher would give us free choice during writing time. I remember writing short fantasy stories. It was so much fun to let my imagination run wild while creating these stories. I was always so proud of the stories I wrote, especially when I was able to share my stories with my classmates.
I guess I was first exposed to literacy as a toddler when my mother would read to me. I overlook this time, and did not really think to include it in my writing timeline. However, I think this early introduction to literature is truly the foundation for my writing life.
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