I have no athletic abilities or any interesting hobbies, but the one thing I like to think I’m good at is writing. I remember writing fiction stories when I was younger, starting in elementary school. During high school, I actually had enough time to write and finish a few stories and I managed to chronical every day of my senior year. In college, I definitely didn’t have much time to write, either fiction stories or chronicling my days, but during spring semester senior year, I did start a fiction story, loosely based on aspects of my life.

I started that story in March 2016, and as of tonight, I don’t think I’m even halfway done with it. Well, in my defense, I didn’t write much of it last summer and then I decided to re-write it in April of this year. I wish I had all the time in the world to work on it, but there’s the whole working full time and taking grad classes online thing. Both drain my writing juices because I’m spending time writing, whether it’s emails, content, or Facebook posts, or papers or answers for discussion questions. By the time I’m done for the night, the last thing I want to do is write.

But it’s also the thing I want to do. Writing for work, school, and for personal purposes are all different. I have to write things my clients need and are catered to their businesses and academic writing is straight to the point and follows guidelines. Maybe that’s why I’m still drawn to fiction writing. That’s something I have complete, 100% control over, and I can write whatever I want to.

I’ve been plugging along at my current story and don’t put any pressure on myself to get it done. Sure I’d love for it to be done, but I think I have to take a journey with the characters. And some of the things that happen in the story are based on things that have happened to me, to other people I know, or things I wish would happen.

It’s become a creative outlet for myself, and honestly, I think it keeps me sane. My goal is to get it done by the time I’m 25. That gives me two more years to work on it, but I’d love to get it done sooner. Will I publish it? Who knows. Will I get another idea for a story before this one is finished? Who knows. (But I hope not because I have too much invested in this one right now.)

Writing has helped me out over the years, and I hope it’s something I can stick with. So here I am, fighting for my right to write – and keep doing it.