Picture this: a friend from school invites you to be a part of a team that writes for fun and about any thing they feel like. That's ok! If that is what they think is fun, no one judges them. Me, on the other hand, I am more of the reader variety. A classic bookworm. Most women fight for shoes or beg for a car for their birthdays. Not me. I want a library filled with my favorites and a $1,000 gift card to Barnes and Noble to buy even more books. But I digress.

You being the bored college graduate in the mood for something new, you said, "What the hay... why not?" Great! Mistake 1: you hate writing and the thought makes you just want to puke. Mistake 2: you have no idea how you passed English the way your papers always came back red. Now picture posting an article and realizing the commas are in the wrong place and you forgot a few words in the middle of the sentence like you had a brain fart and skipped the most important part. All of the other writers would die laughing. Mistake number 3 (and probably the most daunting): you have no idea in this world of what you could ever talk about. I mean whatever could you write about out of all the great and terrible things happening right now? What would you ever have to say that could get people to think, "Oh that's cool"?

Step 1: The first thing you want to do is cry. That's right, just let it all out. Let the doubt and worry of all mistakes just wash away in tears. Fall on your bed kick and scream and let it all out. There you go. If you cry, I will cry with you and all that good junk.

Step 2: Wait until the last minute to come up with the perfect topic. Those publishers and editors can't put a deadline on creative genius. Show off those metaphorical peace signs with one finger that points *wink wink* down. Did you get what I was trying to say there? The one finger is your pointer finger so there is only one obvious finger still left up. Just in case my humor didn't reach all types, shapes, and kinds of people.

Anywho, I was just kidding, don't do that. That's how you get fired and you don't want that. You love your job. Hee hee. In all seriousness, take your time. Writing about something that has no interest to you might as well be clay that hasn't been molded yet. There is no feeling, no mark, and no remnant of who or what created it. If it takes you to five minutes before a deadline to come up with the perfect topic, then by all means write it down. Even if it's only for yourself.

Step 3: Realize that you are doing it. You are accomplishing what you thought you wouldn't be able to do for the whole week -- writing anything about something. Take this moment to realize you are becoming a writer and that it isn't as hard as it seems. Who knows, if it's good enough no one will care where the commas end up or the fact that you skipped the middle of a sentence.

Step 4: You've been doing so well and congratulations, you are almost there. You're next step is the simplest and easiest step and also the hardest and most difficult step. Post it. You can do it. It's only one little click. You're finger is right there. Hey. Hey. Hey, what are you doing? Move your finger from the delete button. Don't you dare! Post it or else!

Step 5: You have become a writer! Give yourself a hand, a hug, a slap on the back, a high five, whatever you need to tell yourself you did a good job.

If you ask anybody about me, they will tell you that I really dislike the idea of writing anything. However, there are moments where I find myself telling stories and imagining fantasies and epic adventures and I realize I'm writing in a different format. I am dreaming, and I write where no one can see.

This is a new comfort zone for me, and like anybody knows, when it comes to something new, it will take some time to get the hang of things, but I will continue and see where this takes me. Who knows -- maybe some of you have been on the same adventures I have or imagined the discoveries I found. In any case, my stories will continue to note not how I became a writer, but how I learned to share my stories and dreams with you.