Five days ago, I came back to my home town--not to visit, but to live. Yikes! I haven't lived here since the 90's. It's a small town nestled in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. There are swaths of farmland all around and mountains rising up in the distance. It's a cute town, a conservative town, but we have the first transgender mayor in the US. Go Silverton!
Moving back to Silverton inspires me to write. After all, this is where I first sounded out letters and read my first stilted sentence. This is where I first fell in love with the magic of books, where I met Miss Suzy, Harold, and Sylvester, where I was first swept away into the worlds of Jane, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Heathcliff, and Bilbo. It is where I walked down the broken sidewalks, kicked leaves in the gutter, and thought that maybe I could make something beautiful out of this world with words on a page.
Years later, I'm back, and still striving for beauty. Oh, and a little truth too.
So, I guess I'm interested in hearing: What made you a writer?
4 comments:
I couldn't say what made me a writer. It's one of those things that I think you either are, or you aren't. I am a writer and an artist, but I am clearly NOT musically talented or an ice skater.
genetics
I don't remember writing much as a child, but I loved telling stories- especially to my younger sister. I remember lying in the top bunk and going over the fairy tales I'd created until they were just right.
Good grief, I liked revision even then.
I've always had a bit of an over-active imagination, and I've always really loved books. Come to think of it, those two are probably closely correlated! I came to a point where the best way for me to share my fun thoughts was to write them down, and this developed into fiction writing.
High five for visiting Oregon! I love it here but I'm moving away for the first time this summer.
Post a Comment