I started writing stories when I was seven.
My mom bought me one of those composition notebooks with the marble cover for sixty cents at Shop Rite. At that time, I was fascinated by family history, so I filled the pages with stories my Nana would tell me about her life. It was also 1991(ish), around the time My Girl with Macauley Culkin came out, and I would write little poems in my notebook like Vada did in the movie.
That’s when my love affair with writing began.
I liked creating worlds with my imagination that branched out into sequels of movies (I had outlines for Grease 3 thru 5 ready to go) and short stories inspired by my favorite fairy tales and R.L. Stine novels.
And if we’re all born with a purpose, which I believe we are, then sharing stories through writing was mine.
What Are You Going to Do with a Degree in English?
Throughout high school, I took Creative Writing classes and won scholarships for my poetry, so it felt only natural that I would major in English when I went to college.
Of course, my father asked, “What are you going to do with a degree in English?”
I am of the generation that lacked…imagination and creative thinking when it came to careers. I wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t know what that would look like as an actual job, and no one was willing to give me any ideas. (If only I had known then what I know now!) So, to answer my father’s question, I said, “TEACH!”
I loved books. I loved school. I loved writing. English teacher seemed like a great job. Plus, getting off at 3pm every day with weekends, holidays, and summers off, I would have SO MUCH TIME to write!
The Reality
I didn’t have any time to write.
I was too stressed trying to figure out classroom management. All of my creative energy went to planning engaging lessons. And by the time I crawled into bed at 6pm after a day of being “on”, the last thing I had the mental capacity for was writing.
But there were always glimmers.
Seventy-five pages written of a novel about a girl looking for love. Poems doodled in the margins of my notes during Staff Development meetings.
But 2015 is when I really hit the ground running again.
What Changed
I was dating someone at the time who was very into their own writing, and their dedication to their creative outlet made me take a long, hard look at my own.
I started going to Gotham Writers Write-Ins. I met friends who invited me to join their writing group. I wrote so many stories inspired by prompts or dreams or ideas I’d been sitting on for years but didn’t have the energy to commit to paper.
I bought another marble composition notebook. And filled the pages with so many poorly written stories. But it fueled me. I kept going because I loved the way I felt when I was doing it.
And in 2021, I decided to leave my teaching career to finally pursue my dream of being a full-time writer.
Why Write If No One is Reading Your Stuff?
A fair question.
I think I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I would love to have millions of subscribers reading and commenting on my work.
But in the book, Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert says two things that I think are worth noting here.
Every pursuit comes with its own type of shit sandwich.
“Whenever anyone tells me that they want to write a book in order to help other people I always think ‘Oh, please don’t.’”
I love helping people. I would love to do that through my stories. I know what stories have done for me in my darkest times. But helping people is not why I write.
I write because there will always be a little voice in the back of my brain that goes, “Wouldn’t this make for an interesting story?”
I write because I love the feeling of sitting down to write and looking up only to realize three hours has passed.
I love the feeling of puzzling together a story. And I love that feeling of magic that happens when a story comes together so perfectly it’s like something divine was sitting on your shoulder ushering the words through you.
And as for the shit sandwich, writing, if you plan on submitting, comes with rejection. I don’t expect anyone to read what I write, but I sure am excited when they do.
And even if they don’t, I’ll keep writing anyway.
Join Me on This Writing Journey!
Let me know in the comments: what keeps you writing, whether or not anyone is reading it? And how do you stay motivated?
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Until next week, friends.
Robyn Neilsen 