Zora’s
Den
Victoria Kennedy
“There is no greater agony than
bearing an untold story inside
you.”
—Maya Angelou
When Did You Know
You Were a Writer?
Writers lay claim to their gift at different points
in their lives. Some know from a young age
that they were always meant to write. Others,
inspired by lessons in class as well as scribes
from the pages of history, experiment with what
they think writers should do. And still, there are
those who happen upon the writer’s life by
chance—a challenge was issued or perhaps,
they were the best candidate to work on the
church newsletter. The journey doesn’t unfold
the same way for everyone but the ways writers
come to the craft are not important. What’s
important is they accept it, embrace it, practice,
and study it. And most of all, enjoy it.
the writer in you is compelled to answer, there
is no other choice.
Some of the most enthusiastic readers—
members of book clubs, street teams, and avid
supporters, are writers in disguise. Not everyone
goes gladly into that pool of vulnerability, where
their words bare their souls, whether fiction or
otherwise. They are writers in their hearts who
have not answered the call for various reasons:
fear of failure, criticism, lack of confidence and
support, and the most dangerous—comparison.
They make the mistake of comparing their work
to that of more seasoned, published writers.
Some evade the path for a long time and are
left unfulfilled. But for true happiness, they
must find the way back.
In the words of Maya Angelou, “There is no
greater agony than bearing an untold story
inside you.” There’s only one way to discover if
you are truly a writer and that’s to write. Write
regularly, even if you show it to no one else. Do
it for yourself. Maybe one day you’ll have the
courage to share and let everyone else know
what you believed all along.
So, when will you know…?
So, when did you know
you wanted to be a writer?
Was it when you wrote the story in elementary
school and your family made you feel like
the most clever and imaginative child in the
universe? Or was it when you won the poetry
contest in eighth grade and the applause from
your peers and teachers made you feel like
Maya Angelou, since that’s the writer you were
emulating in every stanza? Maybe a family
event set the wheels in motion to take creative
license or an entry in your personal journal
resonated. Once the imagination is sparked and
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