Dreams of Being a Writer

My first ever attempt at writing was when I was in the sixth grade. I wanted to write dark stories, even what I considered horror at the time.

Looking back on it now, I realize it was a bit comical, and there really was much to be desired in my style. I took the typical setting of a school and turned it into an experimental playground for alien life forms to run rampant in.

I went to a private school at the time. Some of the teachers mentioned that I could be the next Stephen King. That was an ego boost I didn’t need, because I knew anything I wrote could never compare to The Master of Horror himself. I wanted to write like him, but that was about it. I need to be original and tell my own stories.

However, my descriptions needed work, and the characters themselves were cardboard cutouts of everyday people. There was no tension, no build-up of suspense, and even the creature that was supposed to be the antagonist was laughable.

At the time, I thought I was being original and creative. This would be the start of my writing career at the age of twelve. I hardly remember anything I had written in it. All I can remember from the beginning of the story is, the class that receives the alien visitor gets trapped, and has no way to escape a grim fate.

Yet, I wanted to make this into a novella, each chapter beginning with the last line from the previous chapter. I’d never seen anyone do anything like that before; I thought I might be the first. Then, as time went by, and I read works by other authors, such as Stephen King and J.R.R. Tolkien, I realized my formatting was completely wrong. My dialogue was bland and predictable. And, as I mentioned before, horrific descriptions of setting, and characters.

Now, my work tends to still be on the darker side, but also minimalistic at times. I’ve collaborated with friends to try to get one of my major pieces written. And tried to help them with some of their projects. I still haven’t mastered my voice for my work, but that’ll come with practice.

My structure for storytelling has improved, but there is still something to be desired. My dialogue has greatly improved, while creating and describing the settings is better, but still lacking. Now, do I want to be like Tolkien and paint a picture of every tree and bush along a path for readers to envision? Not really, because there are some things that should be left to interpretation. Which is why I tend to gravitate to the minimalistic view.

My themes, plots, and messages tend to get scrambled in the process. That's another beast to tame with time.

I've also learned a lot about what makes a story worth telling through years of studying. Training myself to think in pictures rather than simple words, which is harder than it seems. Trying to describe a feeling without first hand knowledge of the sensation is a feat all it's own, but I digress. There are some things that are better left in the realm of the imagination.

I still write, but not as much as I'd like to admit.

My Magnum Opus is still in the works, and may never be released until after I'm long gone. But, I'm content to keep working on my style and create as best I can with what I've got.

I know there's no such thing as the perfect anything, but it doesn't mean I won't strive for perfection in my own way.