The Story

I believe everyone on this earth deserves to have a voice, and that voice doesn’t just come from talking, a voice can also be read. Whether it can be read visually like through art with expression and creativity or even through dance with movement and emotion. It’s not just the sounds or words we say that lets us speak freely but, its how we let out our thoughts and feelings to the world. That’s when we struggle to find that inner voice that just wants to be heard. This is where that old saying “that actions speak louder than words” comes to life and that it is true. This was how I found my inner voice and I wanted to take action to show the people around me that I do have a voice and that was through my creative writing. There was once a time where I felt like I did not have a voice and it took a long journey for me to get to where I am to the point where I can now speak freely with no fear of any judgement.

Where it all began!

Growing up for me was very difficult my family never wanted to hear me speak and if I ever gave an opinion, I was always shut down immediately. There were times where I kept asking myself what did I do to deserve this. Even when we were out in public and talking to people, I was always reminded to not say anything stupid or not to talk at all. This really did take a huge toll on me because I started to wonder how I fit in with the rest of the world if I cannot have a voice at all. After having to deal with this all the time I did not have any good social skills and I felt that I really lacked with having a personality and spirit for life. But during these times this is where I had a passion for reading and writing, and as I was reading all these books this is where I realized that if I cannot speak freely with my own voice maybe I can write it. That way I can share my true thoughts and feelings so people could understand that I do have a voice, heart, and soul, and that for the first time I finally can be heard.

Going through high school was double the challenge for me because I always felt like I did not fit in anywhere. As I walked through the hallways with my classmates and the whole time, they did not know anything about me and what I have to deal with at home was really starting to get the best of me. I was alone for a long time, and I wondered will I ever find my place in this big world and what can I do to prove myself to society I have every right to belong here. I felt lost and I had no idea who I was and who I wanted to be and I kept telling myself just keep moving forward and one day I can find what I am looking for. I knew that one day I could also prove the haters and doubters wrong and show off what I could really do even if its not what they were expecting.

My first window of opportunity came when I was in high school I was given the opportunity to write for an antique car magazine on one of their annual tour trips. The story was based on a tour I did with them as we traveled all throughout Savannah, Georgia and it included all the fun adventures we did together. As I was riding around in the car and exploring all these places, I’ve never been I kept saying to myself I can’t wait to share my experiences with the rest of the world. There was not a single detail or small little thing that happened throughout the day that I did not want to leave out. I most of all wanted people to feel like they were physically there with me and as if they could see what I saw. When I first started writing this story, I wanted to make sure I had a good attention grabber for the opening sentence but, after that sentence I wanted to make sure that the reader/audience continued to read the story until the very end. Most of all I hoped that my trip would inspire youths and adults that there is so much to see out there and you just must go out and explore it and see it for yourself. I realized after reading all those novels and hearing the voices from all of those authors is that its all about enticing your reader to continue to read the story and finish it. But its also about setting the scene for the reader and having everything flow in the story cohesively. This is where my passion for reading and creative writing first began to soar, and the whole time I was writing this story I wanted to make sure it was my absolute best. This is my main goal whenever I jump on a computer or pick up a pencil and I start writing I want to always make sure that is stands out. This was the turning point in my life where my spark and my passion for reading and creative writing first began to burn and that this is something I truly love that I would not trade for the world.

Next Chapter!

By the time I got to college I knew that my creative writing skills were going to be put to the ultimate test and I knew I was going to have to step it up a whole lot more. To me writing in high school was child’s play now this was where I was truly going to be tested as to what I could produce and to show off my skills. Over the course of time looking back on the skills I’ve been taught by my teachers and professors of how to improve my writing was going to be the key to my success. My next window of opportunity came when I decided to join my college newspaper and I could not have been more excited because this was my time to shine. What made it even more special was that I was going to be covering a wide range of topics and I get let my creativity dive deeper into what I could do. At this time, I really started to learn more about using great vocabulary and pretty words into the stories that would give my articles the strength to stand out. Some of my favorite topics I got to cover was on the natural disasters that happened frequently every year. Then there was the special events from sports to one-time events, like we even had a drag queen show that I got to cover, and it was my first time experiencing something like this. There was a lot of amazing costumes and make up that I just adored, and I was so glad I got to see it all. Even the crime stories were very interesting to cover, and it was right up my alley because I was getting my major in criminology. Even taking all my criminology courses in college gave me a deeper perspective of what a reader expects whenever they read a book, a newspaper, or even an advertisement. I got to know about how people think and feel most of the time and what joys they get out of the stories they read. I knew from the beginning it would take me a while to get recognized for my stories but, I was still new to the game, and I knew it was going to take some time till people could see I what I could do.

Working for my school newspaper was an everyday challenge for me and whenever something interesting happened on campus I wanted to make sure I was the first one to cover it. There were times where I was always staying up late day and night working on my articles and trying to make the deadlines. At this point I was also pretty much living on coffee, and I was starting to lack in sleep but, it became not just an obsession for me it was my happy place where I felt the most Zen. Being able to write stories was the best way for me to relieve my everyday stress I had with going through life. I know some people turn to meditation, yoga or even exercise to relieve a whole lot of tension and anxiety but for me I found that with writing. With every word I write on a computer or a piece of paper its like once I start, I cannot stop, and I just want to keep writing until there is nothing else to say. There are even times where I felt like someone must pull me literally away from my desk just so I can stop and rest. My friends were even starting to worry about me and that I was taking this a little to seriously but, I knew it would all be worth it in the end, and it did. One of my last articles I wrote for the paper was on three great white sharks that were close in the area at the beach. My college campus was mostly known for their science departments, and I treated this article as if I was a part of the science community and that every detail I included would not only appeal to the science community but also the rest of the public as well. I even had a lot of great interviews to support how important it is to know about a shark’s behavior and that they usually do not pose any major threats to humans. Science may not have been my background but, I do have another strong passion and love for it as well and I was glad that I could let both my passions combine into one. After the article was published, I had a couple of colleagues that I knew around campus that were stopping me in the halls and asking me about the story. They asked if I wrote that story and that they really liked it and little did I know was that my article was also published online. It was amazing because not only were students on campus reading it but as well as parents and alumni too. This was where I truly felt proud of myself and what I had accomplished because I never thought I could do something like this, but I just went ahead, and I did it. Looking back I knew I could have tried a little bit more to see how far my stories could take me but to be recognized in the public eyes was all I could have ever asked for.

Now that I am out of college, I still wanted to be able to write stories and share them with the rest of the world. I wondered when will I be able to do it again because there is so many stories, I want to be able to create and let loose for the public to see and that was when I saw it. Believe it or not this was when I stumbled across Vocal and after seeing how writers like me are able to share stories and to do challenges to really test a person’s creativity and imagination, I was more than excited I was thrilled. I love that I am still able to do what I love because, what is a story if you got no one to tell it to. I am so glad that there is a website like this for creative writers like myself to be able to come and share with each other what they have come up. The possibilities for stories that one can come up with is endless, and there is always something new and different that is just ready to be made. I cannot wait to continue to write more stories and I am thrilled to share my adventures with the rest of the world.

My advice!

In the end there is so much more to what the human being is capable of doing and what they can do to show off to the whole world. Every individual person is unique and different for what they can accomplish and achieve. My advice to those that felt like they do not know where they belong or not know who they want to be or even those that felt oppressed by other people’s negativity that they cannot do it. I would have to say yes you can and do not ever tell yourself you cannot do it. Most importantly do not let others stand in your way of what your life is worth because there is always going to be doubters and haters but do not give in to their words of what they say. After all they are just words it’s a person’s actions that defines who they are and what they want to be. People just need to have faith, courage, and confidence that they can achieve their dreams and desires and just keep moving forward. Even if something goes wrong and when life gets tough just do not let your inner passion and desires die out. You just got to keep the flame going and I know for anyone that reads this article can see that one day you too can show the haters what you can do. Because you do not need people’s approval of the things you can do in life as long as you care and have a strong will and desire then you too achieve great things. Most of all do not let anyone stop you from being silent because you are allowed to speak freely how you choose and not just because someone tells you to. We all have a voice for a reason, and we all deserve to be heard. Just never give up and just keep going because you can do this.