I have a deep passion for writing. I always have. Since the fourth grade when I won a school writing contest and wrote a poem for the inauguration of my elementary school, I had my heart on writing for the rest of my life. At the time, I didn't know where on Earth it would lead me to career-wise, whether I would be an author, a journalist, an English teacher or any of the million possibilities. But I knew something for sure, I was going to write for the rest of my life.
A year ago I decided to apply to be a content contributor for the Baylor Odyssey. After scrolling through Facebook on a whim decision, I sent in a writing sample to the editor-in-chief, 700 words spilled out of my heart and onto a Word document. I sent it in, worried about what they would think of my writing style or what I write about.
A day later, I got a text saying that I was the newest writer for the team, and I couldn't contain my excitement. I exclaimed to my mom that I was a new writer for this online platform where I could express myself freely.
Week after week, I learned more and more about myself and my writing style. I have a story-telling writing style that is very descriptive that takes you exactly wherever I transport you to, whether it was across the world or a moment in time. But I had a bad tendency to not look over my writing and check for simple mistakes. I would post my article shortly after it would be published and within 10 minutes, my dad would text me comments about how I was missing a word here or I should have entered a comma there.
But in the end, a missing word or comma didn't matter to me. My voice was being heard for once.
There was a point I have to admit though, where I felt that writing was taking away from my time. I was running out of ideas after so several months, losing the motivation to write each week.
At the end of the day, however, I was following my passion of twelve years. I knew it in the fourth grade and know it now. Writing is something that I am meant to do.
There are several things I learned about myself. I can work extremely well against a deadline (maybe it's the journalist in me), I know how to tell a story, and I definitely have mastered the art of headline writing. But more importantly, I have found an outlet to express myself that no other social media platform or student publication would allow me to.
It is so easy to pour your heart and soul into a document rather than spilling it out in a conversation. Although no one may respond to my thoughts, opinions, and feelings, I have a deep satisfaction knowing that my voice is being heard. Whenever I hear that someone has read my article, I feel a gush of pride. I feel a sudden rush of endorphins knowing that people actually read my writing.
After one year of posting on Odyssey, I am still following my passion every day as I write these articles.
