In fifth grade, my passion for writing began. After reading the beautiful and tragic story The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, I had a moment where I sat in front of a blank document on my computer and thought that I could, too, write a story like that. My first stories were short, but accomplishments in my eyes. Each story got longer, dialogue got more mature, and pages became chapters. Writing had transformed from just an everyday school activity to my favorite pastime.

I think one of the major reasons I enjoy writing so much is because no one else around me, especially my friends and family, did not share the same talent. In high school, everyone referred to me as an author because of my two self-published books. I liked the uniqueness that came with writing, and I enjoyed being the one classmates would go to for writing ideas or editing help.

My brothers had baseball, and at all those baseball games I attend to support, I have my books. My brothers were the athletes of the family, the star catcher and pitcher, and now the coach and the player. My parents support all three of our talents and boast about all three of us equally.

I love writing because there are times when I want to say something to someone, to share my feelings, and though it would be hard to do it in person, but I can definitely type it on my computer. The stories I write are just a playbook of all different things I have experienced, good and bad. Dialogues I hear from family members or total strangers end up in my books somehow. I take my writing from the world around me and I try my best to back it up with a creative and thoughtful story.

Writing has been there for me when I felt like I had no voice. With writing, I was able to say what I really wanted to say, talk about a broken heart, fight with someone I would not in real life, and share my thoughts. Writing is the reason why I feel big in circumstances where I might feel small. I love disappearing from the real world for a little bit and diving head first into a new story.

I believe that all people become a better writer when you read constantly. My grandfather always told me that I would pick up a better vocabulary, which has always been completely true, and I like to give that advice out to all people. Read a lot. Listen a lot. Observe a lot.

Writing is my comfort zone and my favorite thing to do, and the first time I stared at a blank computer screen, I had no idea where it would take me. Now, I am very thankful and happy that I was able to learn so much from writing, about the world, and about myself.