Writing

 I started writing seriously when i was fifteen. My dad and paid for and helped my build a computer as a birthday present that year, which meant I had a word processor all to myself. I wrote song lyrics, poetry, short stories, and of course school reports. I was not very good at all. I had no understanding of punctuation (I'm still a bit unsure on comas), and my phrasing was uninspired. Still I enjoyed it enough to keep at it. 

The other thing I kept doing was reading. I had always read voraciously, but now I was seeking out great authors. It seemed to me the way to learn how to write better was the see how the very best writers did it. I would read Poe or Twain, Dante, or Dumas and try to ape their style. 

In college I had to write a lot more. I had to learn style guide first MLA, and then APA. I didn't enjoy writing those reports, it was tedious and tiresome to me, but I could break it up writing a little here and there and it wasn't so bad. I found it also helped my editing as I was looking over the document after having been away for awhile, which helped me see it with a fresh perspective. 

I still found time to write for pleasure, I tried my hand at blogging freshmen year. And during my junior an senior years I produced pages upon pages of lyrics, poems, meditations, and musings. I wrote and illustrated a comic strip for the campus paper as well, it was my first experience working with an editor. 

When I went to graduate school I had to learn Chicago Manual Style, which I found I preferred to APA and MLA. I also had to write considerably more each week, and at a much higher level. It was a challenge i needed to elevate my skills. 

As I was working on my master's degree I also held a part-time job with a small church in the area. This meant writing professional correspondence and occasional reports. It was something different for me. There was no style guide provided to me, I had to figure the rules out for myself. It got me thinking about the reasons for different style guidelines deepening my appreciations for the distinctiveness of various formats. 

 Even with the increase burden of writing for school and work I still managed to write for my own enjoyment. I wrote a few skits, and more short stories during that time; but my attention was gradually turning to non-fiction. I wrote about the things we were studying in my classes, and the things I was reading in my dormitory. I edited some of earlier writings keeping the old and new versions so I could see something of my development. 

Upon graduating with my master's I took a contract to work with struggling local organization.  There would write my first professional proposal. I wrote lesson plans, and project proposals, and training manual at my next position. Before moving away again to take the helm of an operation with promise. I ended up working on revising there operational standards and guidelines. I wrote and edited materials for their website, and took on the task of revitalizing their social media presence. I wrote articles, and mission statements, correspondence, and agreements, and so much more. 

And yes, I still wrote outside of work. I was beginning to think of having something published; but i wanted to make sure my work was truly worthy of an audience.  I kept working, and studying; writing a little each day and reading a lot. 

Things didn't end well for me at that job (a story for another day) which landed me in a desperate spot. It was desperate enough that when a new opportunity appeared to write for fledgling website I went for it. I wrote as much as I could without compromising quality. I got up before my shifts handling packages for FedEx to research and write. When I made the move to work full-time at Lowe's I came home and sat down at my keyboard. I wasn't paid at all the first year, but I didn't mind. I enjoyed the work, and I was contributing to a cause I believed in. It was a dream come true when they decided to pay me for my writing. It encouraged me to work all the harder. 

 Well, here we are now. I am writing this blog post about my working journey thus far. I would like to do more writing, perhaps earn my whole living off it someway. I am studying technical writing, and grant writing. I am also investigating some options to publish a book. I am still on a journey, in the middle somewhere. 

I started out teaching myself, and  I continue to teach myself with whatever good help I can find. I know credentials say a lot about ability; but I think there is something to be said for man who does it on his own as well.