When I was in high school, everyone had different hobbies. Some people liked art and drawing, while others liked sports. I was different though because my nose was always buried in a book. From the moment I got home from school to that moment when I couldn’t possibly keep my eyes open any longer, I could be found reading. There were days where I could finish a 400-page book in a matter of hours. My mom would even come in some nights and tell me to put the book down and go to bed. I would just get lost in the story and the lives of the characters, that I would simply forget about the world around me.
It’s always a great feeling when you can escape the reality of the world you live in to a place that comes alive on the pages in front of you. In my opinion, when a reader can relate to the characters and feel the emotions the author is trying to convey, that is what makes the author successful. A book is supposed to be a place where a person can go and just let their imagination run free. This is what excites me about the publishing industry, knowing that I could be working in an industry that helps publish authors’ works that the readers can relate to.
The reason I started writing in the first place was because of my friend Hannah Mattive. She was a friend of mine for two years before passing away of stage four cancer. Her dream was to one day become an author and publish her book. It didn’t seem fair that she would never get to achieve her dream, so my best friend and I finished her book for her and only a few weeks ago, six years later, we finally were able to get it published . She was a driven, passionate, and determined writer. I can only I hope I will become half the person she was someday.
So when it came time for college and to choose a major, I chose to pursue Professional Writing. There were many people who asked me what kind of career are you going to get with a writing degree? My response was always that I wanted to go into publishing and that I aspire to work for a major publishing house someday. Some even dared to press further and ask why I wanted to pursue publishing. This question was always one that made me smile, and the answer was one that only true book lovers would understand. My response to that very question was and still is how I want to be a part of the process that allows for readers to connect with a piece and connect with the authors who wrote it. I want to be that stepping stone, that bridge that connects one person to the next over an amazing piece of literature. I wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of that dream either, no matter what doubts or concerns others had about the major I chose.
My dad had to drop out of school at the age of ten because his father passed away. He then assumed the role of the man of the house and started working to support his family. He would always tell us when we were growing up, “If you ever want something in life, you must put in the time and hard work in order to see it happen. The wonderful things in life, are the ones earned with hard work.” My dad just wanted us to have more than what he had as a kid. He sacrificed so much to support his family then and his family now, and that’s why I will never take my education for granted. I want to not only make my parents proud, but I want to earn the opportunities I am offered in life.
With all that said, my education, so far, has given me insight into many forms of writing, such as: poetry, fiction, short stories, plays, etc. Not only in how to write in those styles, but also in the way they function, and even getting down to the nitty gritty stuff like how you word your pieces to appeal to your audience. The editing course I took got into how we need to think about our audience when we write and to look out for spelling, punctuation, and other errors every writer makes.
My favorite genre books to read are young adult fiction. I have always enjoyed them because I feel like no matter which book I decide to read, I can relate to the characters in some way. My favorite trilogy, which I just finished reading through again, is TheSummer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han. These books not only hit home for me because I lost my friend to cancer six years ago, but really show how you must lean on the ones you hold dear in your heart and make the most out of life as it comes, storms and all.
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