I Used to Write Many Letters
Before my authoring adventure began in 2016, I wrote a few short stories, four miserable patents, and many technical documents. This means that I did not consider writing to be a core skill. At best, it was a tool to help me communicate with known audiences.
Last week, I was putting my second backup drive into a fireproof case. Since our home robbery, I have become paranoid about backups and have multiple backup locations. Inside the case were around 500 hand-written pages (500? Really?) from when I was 15-20. I wrote the bulk of these to my high school girlfriend and kept photocopies of the originals. Why did I keep this mess? Now, this backup paranoia makes a little more sense.
I decided to shred them because I did not want my family to read my personal thoughts. Why? I am a different person now. Alright truth, I was concerned they would see my bad grammar, goofy ideas, and the fact that I wrote 500 pages of personal thoughts.
It was no surprise to me that I flawlessly organized everything, and the condition was perfect. As I shredded, I read several pages, and the content shocked me. They contained deep and well-communicated feelings. I took a deep dive into ideas, life, invention ideas, the future, friends, events of the day and my passions. I had no idea that I used to write with so much intensity.
These “raw” documents looked remarkably like my present style. I had a knack for freely expressing opinions and my passions. Plus, I still use the same verbs and sentence structure. Yet, I uncovered many differences. Young Bill could not spell to save his life, had no grammar ability, his thoughts went nowhere, and his repetitive vocabulary droned on like the Energizer Bunny. This is to be expected from a young writer. Side note: My handwriting has degraded.
I was stunned to realize that writer Bill existed back then. He had passion, drive, and a positive attitude. This young guy wanted to make a big impression on the world and felt his mind contained all the necessary tools. Way to go!
I now understand the source of my passion for writing. I began as a good writer. I suppose I knew this fact but did not accept my early ability. Side note: When I told my mother that I wanted to write a book, she said, “You were always a great writer.”
What did my discovery tell me? To be a good writer, a core talent is necessary, along with a healthy respect for the topic. I wrongly assumed that my ability was a recent occurrence.
You’re the best -Bill
July 03 2019 Updated June 01, 2024
Last week, I was putting my second backup drive into a fireproof case. Since our home robbery, I have become paranoid about backups and have multiple backup locations. Inside the case were around 500 hand-written pages (500? Really?) from when I was 15-20. I wrote the bulk of these to my high school girlfriend and kept photocopies of the originals. Why did I keep this mess? Now, this backup paranoia makes a little more sense.
I decided to shred them because I did not want my family to read my personal thoughts. Why? I am a different person now. Alright truth, I was concerned they would see my bad grammar, goofy ideas, and the fact that I wrote 500 pages of personal thoughts.
It was no surprise to me that I flawlessly organized everything, and the condition was perfect. As I shredded, I read several pages, and the content shocked me. They contained deep and well-communicated feelings. I took a deep dive into ideas, life, invention ideas, the future, friends, events of the day and my passions. I had no idea that I used to write with so much intensity.
These “raw” documents looked remarkably like my present style. I had a knack for freely expressing opinions and my passions. Plus, I still use the same verbs and sentence structure. Yet, I uncovered many differences. Young Bill could not spell to save his life, had no grammar ability, his thoughts went nowhere, and his repetitive vocabulary droned on like the Energizer Bunny. This is to be expected from a young writer. Side note: My handwriting has degraded.
I was stunned to realize that writer Bill existed back then. He had passion, drive, and a positive attitude. This young guy wanted to make a big impression on the world and felt his mind contained all the necessary tools. Way to go!
I now understand the source of my passion for writing. I began as a good writer. I suppose I knew this fact but did not accept my early ability. Side note: When I told my mother that I wanted to write a book, she said, “You were always a great writer.”
What did my discovery tell me? To be a good writer, a core talent is necessary, along with a healthy respect for the topic. I wrongly assumed that my ability was a recent occurrence.
You’re the best -Bill
July 03 2019 Updated June 01, 2024
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