Tuesday's writing prompt is: MAY I tell you something about myself? Since I might be getting some visitors today who've never been to my blog before (Welcome!), I thought I'd give the quick and dirty version of how I got to this point.
Elementary school: Win a blue ribbon at a Young Authors event in first grade. Write stories obsessively throughout the rest of elementary.
Middle school: Decide I want to be a nurse. Still enjoy writing stories.
High school: Start studying French, go on a trip to Morocco. Pick up Spanish and German courses as well by the end of high school, decide I want a glamorous international job that requires foreign languages, intend on being fluent in at least six. Still enjoy writing stories.
College: What else could I become but a diplomat? Major in Political Science, second major in German and near-minor in French. Story-writing ceases entirely.
Post-college: Move to Germany on scholarship. Intern at U.S. consulate, decide I should become a lawyer and get a job at a patent law firm in Munich. Worst-looking career ever. Office mate presents the idea of studying journalism because I like politics and writing, which leads to brief stint in Istanbul writing for English-language daily paper. Creative writing idea flutters like a tiny, near-dead moth in the back of my head.
Grad school: Realize within a month of starting journalism school that this is not the field for me. Also within a month of starting j-school: 9/11, which shapes the entire experience. Squeak through with an internship in copy editing and a thesis in photo (wanna see the pics? more on that here).
Real world: Land a great job at a great company, who could ask for anything more? Using my foreign language skills, job satisfaction high. And yet. These stories, they keep popping up in my head, and so little by little, in my spare time I begin trying to write them down. And they're awful. But I keep starting stories, and eventually one sticks, and I finish it. And it's awful. And then I begin the very long process of learning how to tell a story.
So that's me and my writing journey in a nutshell! Did you tread a similar path?
Even as an old follower I didn't know all of this about you. I always love hearing how people got into writing. :) Mine...yeah, I've always wanted to write and have never been able to stop. My dad wishes I wanted to be a nurse or a lawyer, though.
ReplyDeleteI admire your world travel and use of other languages. Unfortunately, my foreign language career started and finished w/in six weeks of a college course (I changed majors and found out I didn't need it...drop).
ReplyDeleteSo wir koennten auch auf Deutsch sprechen? :D ou en francais? :D
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your writing journey!
It's nice to meet a fellow linguophile! I've always loved foreign languages and teaching myself bits and pieces over the years. My dream is still to one day get a doctorate and Ph.D. in 20th century Russian history.
ReplyDeleteI tried to learn German in grad school, and basically failed, so I am in awe of you! That is one hard language to master.
ReplyDeleteI love hearing about all of your experiences and adventures, Rachel - wow! Can't wait to read your stories one day too :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a nice, winding path :) I think most people have to follow a few different paths before finding the right one. At least, that's what I keep telling myself so I feel like less of a failure!
ReplyDeleteSide note--you're a Yooper? My dad's hometown is Munising, so we went up there every summer. I love the UP!
What a great recap! That's so neat that writing has been a part of your life for so long!
ReplyDeleteHi, Rachel. Fun post! I've been writing for what seems like forever as well. I remember those Young Authors events. :)
ReplyDeleteI noticed in your About Me that you were raised a Yooper. Small world! I was born and raised in L'Anse.
Nice to meet you! Looking forward to following your blog. :)
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ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteNew visitor and fellow MAYbe challenger here:) Thanks so much for sharing, it is really interesting to read other writers' journeys. I am still very much in the I-have-a-day-job-but-really-want-to-write phase and working on it!
Can't wait to read more!
http://unpublishedworksofme.blogspot.co.uk/
Nice overview! I've always written but I didn't start taking it seriously until college. I'm sure your past experiences will inform your stories now. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's some journey right there!!
ReplyDeleteGreat to get to know you, good luck with your future writing :-)
*New follower*
Vix @ http://ttoria.blogspot.com
Wow! You've had some really incredible life experiences! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSuch an international woman! I feel like I know you now. Isn't that weird? :)
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