On Comparisons

I've been writing for as long as I can remember. I wrote my first short story when I was six years old, with my Crayolas. There were also some stunning illustrations... for a six year old (sarcasm.) In any case, I've written a lot of garbage throughout my years. Most of this garbage can be blamed on being a kid, and this garbage, I'm not really counting since I was in fact a child.

Of course, the teenage years came and all I could write about was unrequited love. Typical teenage girl stuff right? Well, this equated to more drivel that horrified me beyond belief. I couldn't imagine anyone ever reading that stuff, especially my intended.

About the time I was getting ready to graduate high school, I thought to myself, gosh, I really want to be writer. I want to write books, share my stories with people, entertain them, make them laugh, make them feel. So, I started writing novellas thinking they'd eventually go somewhere, maybe turn into an actual novel. Of course, being judgemental of my work (as pretty much all writers are) I trashed everything I ever wrote, casting it off as rubbish.

As I entered my early twenties I realized, I really wanted to have an actual book out there, but where was my story? I couldn't keep writing about lost love, there's a certain market for that and I didn't want to be pegged. In my mid-twenties, a story arrived, I wrote it, and published it myself.

It was hard work, but not impossible, and I learned a lot of cool things about publishing. Looking back on the story I wrote however, I realize, it's written from a more immature part of me, I can see it in my writing. It's been praised by everyone that's read it (yes, everyone I know) but also, quite a few strangers, which is especially pleasing. I've achieved my goal, I've entertained people.

Now I'm working on a second novel. I can tell already that this particular book has a more mature sense of voice about it. It's coming from an older version of me. Of course, if a writer's work didn't grow and change with the writer's life, it would become boring and calculated. No one would continue to read a particular writer if they kept writing the same thing over and over again.

I'm looking forward to completing this work as I feel it will be more entertaining than my first book. I imagine it will still be a while yet before I complete this piece because well, I let my life and my laziness get in the way too much.