My Pen

Can I Call Myself a Writer? Maybe Yes. Maybe No.

Grammarly tells me that I am doing well within my nuances of language; But is that enough to say "Yes I am a writer" I believe I could call myself a wordsmith but is that the same as being identified as a writer?

I love words. And I write. Additionally, I have always been fascinated as to how letters link up to give stimulation and even pleasure in some form. I have also looked at how they present in a purely visual sense. I guess it could even be termed sensual when you think about the effect of the words on the wider community.

In particular, I enjoy writing short stories with a spot of humour that can make people sparkle; poetry that deals with the bigger picture of earth versus man; essays that look at the social aspects of living, and crazy childrens' rhymes and stories. There is so much one can get one's teeth into.

My pen likes to travel as my mind taps into the essence of humanity.

I absorbed, drank in if you will, the entire contents of a dictionary over the course of a term at my boarding school. It was a strict environment where we were unable to enjoy any books other than stories from "The Lives of Saints" and suchlike from Sunday night to Friday night. So my interpretation was to then read the dictionary from cover to cover. The plus side was that my vocabulary increased incredibly and my understanding and knowledge of word meanings was no longer generic but increased incrementally in knowledge and depth.

The funny side to this is that my younger son, before his university studies, was fascinated by this small insight into his mother's maturation process and decided to do the same. The result is he also has a great vocabulary.

I was a voracious reader. I even skipped grade two because I had read all the books in the Junior School Library. I remember at boarding school Friday evening would come and with it access to the long-awaited fiction library. Plus, the next day, the tuckshop would open with its attendant delights. Saturdays were wonderful. I just loved Saturdays. Books and sweets. Sweet and books. What a marvelous combination of delight.

My mother for whatever reason could not visit me very often on the designated visiting day which was a Sunday, and as the weekends stretched into oblivion books became my solace.

So Saturdays would come and I would take my books to my hidey-hole in the hedge that girded the tennis courts and along with my little bag of goodies, there I would sit in the hollowed-out space, to read and enjoy my weekly treat of sweets. I could be alone there for hours. If I was to be completely honest, I was also a little naughty because I would hear the nuns looking for me, calling my name as they looked for me but I would be as still as a mouse and not answer.

But you must realise that living with so many people on a constant my time alone was indeed very precious. And somehow managing to do what I wanted, when I wanted within the confines of a daily proscribed timetable (and a secret spot in the hedge) was undeniably both prized and treasured.

Well, I grew as you do and in time I grew enough to be able to put my hand up to become the Weekend Librarian and have access on a constant to all those lovely books in the fiction library. And as I was a child who did not enjoy many visits from home and adored reading, I was an on-the-spot prime candidate for the position. The joy of it. I was selected for this much-wanted position and given the key - a great honour indeed.

Best of all, I now had the key in my possession; that key which opened up those big glass and mahogany doors where all the names emblazoned on the book spines peeked enticingly through the glass. I would read and covet these spines three times a day when standing online on my way to meals in the Refectory.

Mentally I would have made my reading choice for the following Friday well before that day arrived.

Mind you there was one drawback and that was when Sunday evening came after I had gathered up all the books on loan and returned them to the Library, I then had to return the treasured key to the Mistress of Studies. So there was no possibility of any sneaky borrowing on my behalf during the school week.

So it was back to the Lives of the Saints!

Before I became the Weekend Fiction Librarian I used to have to ask the person who had previously held the position and the key, to exchange my books approximately 4-5 times over the course of a weekend. But once I had the key in my possession it was truly wonderful. I was able to enjoy the freedom of access to those doors on a constant. Doors that opened onto a larger life within the world of words, gifts to us from so many varied and gifted writers. Although it was now my turn to be disturbed occasionally to exchange books for other borrowers, this was just a small price to pay for my indulgence in my love of reading on a continuum for the period of some 60 hours each week. Just fabulous.

Maybe I should have mentioned here that the school I attended was quite progressive and we attended speed reading classes in Grade 5, hence we girls developed the ability to read through books quickly.

Years later I attended University where due to these early enjoyable experiences I studied Librarianship. But, it was with horror I discovered that this degree basically covered the technical side of running libraries and did not involve the reading of books on a constant. Really, I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I was.

At this stage, I was a single mother who for a period of some 17 years raised two beautiful young men. Now this was a fulfilling project where I cannot start to tell you how deeply I cared for my little ones and how emotionally committed I was that they would not be labeled as a single mothers offspring with all those connotations that sometimes go with this; plus I wanted them to enjoy the same bright, promising futures as their peers. I was determined that they would have the best that I was able to provide, all while receiving no financial help from my estranged husband.

So between caring for my children, working a full-time job and 2 part-time jobs plus trying to study, there was little time left over for me to indulge in my passion for putting my words on paper. However I was always a good story teller much the same as my mother who always shared family legends - the truth and her embelished truth. But let's face it sometimes an embellishment or two makes for a much better story. What is that old saying? Never let the truth get in the way of a good story!

But despite my literary aspirations, disappointingly I had only been writing haphazardly since schooldays. However during this period I had a lengthy stay in hospital, a period of some four and a half months, and it was then that I took up my pen again.

Bedrest will do that for you!

So with the advent of online writing platforms, the fruits of my labours from the past decade or so are now enjoying being showcased. And when my submissions are accepted into publications and there is that odd, lovely compliment from fellow writers I would be less than human not to enjoy these moments and any interaction with fellow writers be it on Vocal, Medium, Facebook, or other social platforms.

But while I have a personal passion to write I do question my right to think others should personally support me in my journey. It is my journey after all. However I do believe that while it is great to have people support and encourage my endeavours I also believe that it is not within my purview to expect it.

Writing on dedicated platforms is energetic and encourages the enjoyment of writerly exchanges plus some positive criticisms. And this is where interactive software that builds both memberships and finances could come into play; and a site such as Memberful could well be the answer to such issues as building readership, creating and growing newsletters, knowledge sharing and finally monetising. A composite of all relevant actions that are necessary to build an ongoing business is incorporated within this purpose-built membership site. And indeed if Memberful can supply and fulfill my fledgling business needs, then both time and dollar savings could be enabled.

Potentially, enacting this program could be so good for me, my business, and potential subscribers. The provision of this clever software enables people to join and read what it is I wish to say and at the same time the icing on the cake would be the subsequent monetisation of my newsletter. However, the learning component in all of this - the how-to if you will - lies with the authors of this software.

So while I believe that my ongoing passion for the written word (and not only my words!) could be fulfilled when shared via my own Memberful newsletter; it would also be ideal to have the facility to grow a financially viable, supportive readership. A recoqnition if you will, of achieving a brilliant outcome to my long-held wish to create a new reality.

To my mind, this idea of forming a new partnership can only be good!

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