Mar 24, 2014 / Beginner

Writing Challenge: Writerly Reflections

We blog for a million different reasons, but in the end, we’re all storytellers. Creative Writing Challenges are here to help you push your writing boundaries and explore new ideas, subjects, and writing styles.

To participate, tag your post with DPchallenge and include a link to this post, to generate a pingback and help others find the challenges. Please make sure your post has been specifically written in response to this challenge. We might just highlight some of our favorites on Freshly Pressed on Friday, and in our quarterly newsletter.

In comic books, an origin story reveals how the superhero(ine) acquired their superpowers. For us as bloggers, writing is one of our superpowers. We know that writing has the power to change the world. Case in point: the recent 2014 Canada Reads debates pitted five books against one another to decide the book with the power to change Canada for the better. (I’m a Canadian book nerd. Sorry!)

Last Friday, photographer Ben gave us a great photo challenge in Reflections. In today’s challenge, you’ll reflect on your origin story and tell us how and why you became a writer.

O Mighty Isis! Or, Superpowers, activate!

Did your love of books start with uncontrollable laughter, begging your mom to read Green Eggs and Ham for the 50th time? Did you want to follow Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy through that wardrobe in The Chronicles of Narnia? Did you wish you could be Meg in A Wrinkle in Time? Those are just some of the books I loved as a kid. I wanted to be able to create my own world in which to escape. Suess, Lewis, and L’Engle were my heroes. I wanted to write amazing books, just like they did. I still do.

Think back: what was the first story or poem you wrote because you wanted to? How old were you? Did you, like me, start writing in “blem,” crooked-edge notepads your printer dad brought home from work because they couldn’t be shipped to the customer?

These are some of the elements of my origin story as a writer. And now, over to you.

It’s your turn

In this challenge, tell us how you fell in love with books and writing. Not sure how to get started? Here are some questions to gently nudge your memory and your muse:

  • Which books did you love growing up? Which poems?
  • Do you remember your first original composition? What was it? How did you feel while writing it?
  • Did you secret your writing away or share it with family and friends?
  • What sort of writing do you enjoy doing best? Fiction? Nonfiction? Creative Nonfiction? Poetry? Memoir? Other?
  • What are your writerly aspirations? Do you write for yourself, or to become published?
  • Why do you write?
  • What keeps you writing?
  • Do you have a daily writing practice? Tell us about it.

You’re welcome to simply answer the questions. Bonus points for weaving your facts into a narrative.

I can’t wait to read your story.

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  1. To be honest I was never into books that much as a kid. I could read comics all day though which didn’t impress mum and dad but there we are. I did enjoy writing essays at school until I was about 16. Then I was more into writing songs. I loved stories but preferred them with visuals, hence my love of comics. Even now at well over 50 my preferences are a mix between the written word and pictures which is why I write poetry and paint. Not putting the two together though.

    I’ve tried writing stories but tend to run out of steam early on which I find disappointing but they are still there.

    I have self published one small book called “How to have a happy Christmas”. One year all I seemed to hear was “I’ll be glad when Christmas is over” which seemed strange as I don’t hear that about any other holiday. So decided to research and write about it.

    I very much want to write a novel. I just do. But I need the discipline first. I don’t doubt an idea will come but it is my discipline that is the problem.

    I belong to a poetry group which helps me keep that going and have had some poems published in a couple of anthologies. I also have a couple of blogs. One for other business and one for poetry.

    Maybe this daily post will help me achieve more. That would be nice.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Funny, how some folks seem to think that reading comic books doesn’t count as reading. I couldn’t disagree more. Comic books are plenty fine reading material, in my opinion.

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      2. Comics are amazing reading material! I’m of the belief that ANYTHING that gets people reading is awesome. And I do mean Comic Books, not graphic novels, because those are a completely different thing… I dare anyone to try and argue that graphic novels don’t deserve the same respect, if not more, than more “traditional writings.”
        But classic comic books — I know a lot of kids who have started with cheapo comics and it serves as a gateway to reading more. Also, I still love to sit down with a cheapo comic, really, what’s not to love?

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  4. This is a push for us procrastinators to get going and get writing. I have a friend who thinks there’s a writer in each of us; we just have to let that person loose! Thanks for the inspiration.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. You’re so right JFTBBTT! It’s a great challenge for procrastinators indeed! I’m just getting a chance to read this challenge! Such a bummer as it’s 22:49 here in the UK now! Can I write on this tomorrow? Or will there be another another challenge then? I wish I’d seen this earlier! I’ll still write on it though…it’s a cool idea. 🙂

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      4. I’m from the UK too, I never get this weekly writing challenge until about 5 pm. Just to let you know, as I had encountered this yesterday, to leave a link and pingback on each Mondays Writing Challenge, get your post details in by Sunday because they close the comment section after that. As Krista said, you can do any of the prompts whenever, just won’t be able to link it back after the deadline I mentioned. Take care 🙂

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  5. I have been writing about 12 blogs, I’ve been writing blogs because I want the audience to hear my story and I also keep it a secret from friends and family. I have no experience with journalism or writing blogs before so I consider this more as a hobby.

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    1. Wow,12 blogs… How do you keep them all going, I have enough maintaining just one! As long as you are getting your needs met via blogging, it doesn’t matter only if you know. Some things we just have to get off our chests freely. Take care 🙂

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      1. I think there is a lot to talk about, I enjoy it whether or not I get low or high views, at the end of the day my only purpose is that as long as I can get my point of view across then I feel that the blog is completed.

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    2. I find it is much easier to open myself up to an online audience than friends and family at times, too. Although blogs are still very personal, it is nice to know a screen stands between you and your words! Props on maintaining all your blogs too.

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  11. I love the sound of this DP Challenge because I get to share and explore where my writing started, which was an abysmal first encounter, so I’ll enjoy this! 🙂

    In the mean-time; last weeks challenge I couldn’t get finished in time and the comment box is closed but I still want to share the story, I’ve just now published it and happy it’s done:

    http://victoriakgallagher.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/unity-divided/

    And I’ll get cracking on this weeks challenge, in time 😉

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    1. I personally think ‘fun’ is one of the main reasons we all write (if we are honest about it). discovery, fame and entertainment surely flow from fun no?

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      3. “fun” is my number one reason. Rambling on about a subject that interests me is relaxing. I specifically like the fact that I don’t _have_ to do it; I can do it when I want it, how I want it and about whatever I want. I couldn’t do it for a living, it’d take the adventure right out of it. I’m flattered when others enjoy what I write but I will always do it for myself first and foremost.

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  13. This is why I started my blog. Go into some detail on about page-http://www.gettingdckfordummies.com/hello-all/-I am going to enjoy writing this one. One voice matters.

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  17. Hi my name is KRiver. Books, Books, and more Books is a good way to describe me. I have them all over my house. Every room, if I could live in a library I would. since I was very little my mom would read to me and I would make her read every page I knew if she skipped pages and would make her go back and read them. or she would try to skip words and I would catch that too. Christmas I always got some books. when I was 11 I was sent to a military school. I never did one test or any homework or anything that could be reguarded as school work all i did the only thing I did was read Hardy Boy Detective stories that is how I survived. I would go home every other weekend my mom would buy me enough books to fill to over flowing 3-4 king size pillow cases with these books in 2 weeks This is not exagerated either if anything it is understated. I would have read them all bring them back and exchange them for the same amount each week cost my mom a small fortune to do that. All my life I am almost 65, I have loved books last yr I read a stack of books one and 3/4 times my size I am 6′ all novels. books have always offered for me: answers, escape, relief from being board, relief from stessors of life,enjoyment, pleasure, knowledge,and satisfaction. I have continuedreading this way until this very day. recently within the last yr I have discovered poetry writing and I am becoming more and more prolific. I never liked to write before. Now, in the last yr I am finding great pleasure in writing. A few days ago I read for the very first time Robert Frost, Emily dickerson and some others. I will be writing some novels soon. I seem to write mostly story poems I have tried Haiku a couplle of times. It is quite a challenge to stay within those rules. no more than 3 lines 1 1st must only be 5 syllables not more not less than (not 5 words) line 2. 7 syllablles no more no less and the 3. same as the 1st must include a season or indicate it clearly in some way harder that it sounds. TRY IT you’ll see. I am not sure if the lines have to rhyme or not the 3rd line requires a twist of sme kind but must be related I think. Writing now for me is almost I would say a compultion. I awaken in the middle of the night from a sound sleep with a poem going through my head. I get up and go to work on it. or I’ll talk to someone and they will say something very simple or some incident will occur that stays in the back of my mind and then a few second, minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months go by Then….. BANG! suddenly the poem comes.I worry that I won’t beable to write it down fast enough and get it all down before it is gone fore good. Anyhow, now you know the whole story. K River

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    1. As the first child, my mom used to read for me too until I could read for myself and even though I’ve read so many books, I’m sure I haven’t read quite as much as you have. :). Reading was a habit for me too. I would stay awake reading, unwilling to shut my eyes for a moment. Hehehe
      I’m not really a fan of poetry, but I know from friends that it takes genuine talent and an innate gift to tow that line. All the best with that endeavour.

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  18. your daily post give me more inspiration to write a new post every day.

    If we talk about inspiration, i just get my inspiration from my experience. I just try to make it a bit of funny and lol post. Hope can make someone smile and laugh when read my post.

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  22. writing isn’t in my blood. it doesn’t come easy to me. oftentimes, it’s a struggle. when i sit down to write, the computer screen remains blank and nothing comes out of my brain no matter how much i squeeze it. in frustration, i’d just give up and console myself with a snickers bar.

    i do confess there are occasions when i’m reading a book or experiencing an event that the muse comes unexpectedly. what a thrill when the fish finally bites. it’s when the words flow and rush faster than even my fingers can type. sadly, in my case, those moments are so rare that they would qualify for the guinness world of records.

    Writing is the Pits

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