Writer’s Quote Wednesday is organised by Colleen from Silver Threading, and is a wonderful weekly series in which bloggers share the quotes which inspire them. I highly recommend checking them out.
I like this quote, and to a certain extent, I write for many of the same reasons. It certainly gives me strength, and a sense of freedom; a way to understand and interpret the world around me.
I was a confident, happy child. I remember being happy, and I have photographic evidence – I always had a big, beaming smile on my face. I’m not going to lie to you, I loved being the centre of attention; loved meeting people, talking to people, entertaining people. I loved the world around me in general. Then as a teenager I was abducted by aliens and during the experimentation process I lost that side of my nature. Well, it was either aliens, or puberty – one or the other. I became an introvert overnight and withdrew into myself. It’s hard for me to remember what it was like to hear the characters in my head when I was a child, because I know that I did. I wrote poems, stories, plays, anything I could, to feed my creative side. But I didn’t shut out the world. That came later. I didn’t lose everything. I’m still quick to smile, still quick to trust and I love entertaining people, only now it’s through my words.
I find it interesting that, as an interpreter, I’m often front and centre; in a classroom, on a stage, in a meeting, and I’m extremely confident in my skills. It doesn’t phase me, but then the reason is pretty simple. It’s a role I step into. Writing on the other hand, feels like the real me. So while I can appreciate what Josh means when he talks about creating characters, those roles he gets to play if only in fiction, for me it’s also about showing who I truly am.
What about you? Why do you write? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for stopping by. Until next time.
Mel
Melissa Barker-Simpson 
I’d love to hear from you.