A Love Letter to Vocal

Dear Vocal,

I’m going to be honest. I gave up on you for a hot minute there. And in all reality the problem was me, not you. But let’s take it back to the beginning... When I first discovered you, I fell in LOVE. Deep, unconditional love. Every feature about you was astounding to me and worth every penny of the price to be part of your world. See, I’ve always aspired that one day I would become an author. I did not know if I was capable or had it in me to make it that far. It was just a dream for a long time. Until I met you.

You introduced me to a community I had no idea existed. You gave me the opportunity to find my voice for a like-minded audience. And I was overwhelmed. I took a few stabs at ideas that have been mulling around in my head and I was PROUD to have the courage to even do that and the space and platform to share my stories. But I had little response to anything I shared and quickly lost the hope that I might be a decent storyteller. I was down and out and I stopped checking in with you. But I could not stop thinking about just that. How let down I was.

The thoughts sat with me so often that the situation gave me an idea. I could learn. I bought educational books for how to write stories. I researched seminars and classes. Finally, partook in a college course on fictional writing. It was amazing. I became certified. But even with my newfound knowledge, I was nervous to come back to you. Will I be a better teller of stories? Will others like what I share now? Then I thought, no. Not everyone will. There is no guarantee that everyone will. I mean theoretically, I could be named the best author in the entire world and there would still be people out there who do not appreciate the stories I share. And that’s okay. Because maybe if there’s just ONE person out there who likes what I write, doesn’t that still make me an author? I don’t need hundreds or thousands of fans of my work. All it takes is one.

So, I’m actually here to say THANK YOU. I could have never guessed that I would have made it full circle from amateur to student to realizing that I am already an author. Because I do have at least one person who appreciates the workings on my mind whether it is shared on paper or computer screen. Which brings me to my point of this love letter. I am here to stay.

Just introducing me to you, I’ve come a long way. And this year, I want to practice. I want to write with you again. Share my ideas with others. I think I want to stick to fiction and fantasy. They have always been my favorite but I am open to exploring poetry as the words have a way of capturing your soul. I want to learn how to bring a reader in and get them hooked. I want to explore the expression of emotions on a deeper level with my vocabulary. I want to check in at least once a week with a new idea to share, challenge or no challenge. I want to observe the way others write and how they capture my attention. I want to read, like, comment, and encourage others so they have the stamina to continue to write no matter what.

Mostly, I want to inspire others not to give up on something they love. You can always take a break but do not give up. You have a fan out there waiting to hear your next story. So tell it.

Yours truly,

A Learning Author