Many don't know, but I've been writing for fun since long before I began to write for Odyssey. Eight years later, I still don't consider myself a "writer" even though it truly is something I love to do. Since I began writing on this platform, many people ask me, "Why do you write?" They expect that maybe it's for a class, maybe I get paid. I usually just say, "No, it's just a stress-reliever," but honestly, it's so much more than that.

To understand why I write I need to start from the beginning of my writing journey. When I was in elementary school, I began to join online "roleplaying" groups on various websites. As nerdy as it felt, it was also such an amazing creative outlet for me.

When I began, I would base my characters off of myself. It was at a time in my life where I was incredibly shy and timid, and I think using myself as a character was my way of trying to decide if people around me would accept me for me. Soon, though, I began to branch out and create completely new characters. I was really beginning to create an entirely new world of people in my life.

So, at that point in my life, my writing was a way to escape the fears I had about people in my real life. I could be myself with no fear of judgment, but I could also be someone else completely. After a year or so, I felt too old to be roleplaying on the "Moshi Monsters" forum zone. So, I put my creative juices to use somewhere else: a club called "Books for Hope."

In this club, we would create small books for children in Uganda. At the same time, we worked on each creating our own personal book to take home. I began to write a story about myself. All the characters were directly based on people in my life, only with their names changed. After a week or two of writing it though, the story had become something completely different, and while all the characters were still based on my life, the plot became my fantasy world. A world where the boy I liked, liked me back and I got to see my friends all the time.

Inevitably, some people got ahold of my story. They told me it was really good and that I should write more. Once it had spread, I told people I would, but I never did because I was too afraid that they would discover who I had based my characters off of.

After that incident, I decided I needed to take my writing to a more private place. I decided doing it online was exactly like the right place to be sure my writing was private! While no one ever found out about it until I wanted them to, I now realize that using a website, even one as obscure as Quibblo, was an incredibly stupid idea. Honestly, I was just begging for someone to find it.

Anyway, I began to write and write and write on that website. I wrote everything; poetry, diaries, fiction based on my life, complete fiction, fanfiction, and everything in between. I wrote countless stories (mostly still unfinished) and never ran out of new ideas.

As I got older and busier, I began to write less and less, to the point where I didn't write for fun for over a year.

I also became increasingly less confident in myself and what I had to say to the world. When I talked to people in person, my words got jumbled up. This always left me wondering "what if" I had said what I really wanted to say.

Towards the end of high school, I began to write a lot again, but not anywhere special, just on Facebook. I loved writing about my opinions and my life, even when I knew that only around 10 people were reading the things I posted. I knew that I could think of the exact words I wanted to say for hours before I posted them.

When I wrote, I never had to wonder what would've happened if I had said what I really meant to say. I began to realize how much I loved sharing my life and experiences with other people. Maybe it's just because I want people to know they're not alone. (People that really know me also know that it's also a little bit because I like to be the center of attention.)

No matter the reason, I began to write and write and write on Facebook, constantly. My characters weren't just based on myself, they were me. I knew that people would accept me if they were really important, and I wasn't afraid of that anymore. I also realized that while real life maybe wasn't ideal, it was mine, and that was definitely something to be proud of.

Upon getting to college, I discovered Odyssey: a place where I could share my thoughts and feelings about anything I wanted, anytime I wanted. It sounded like the dream, and I was right, it really is.

So, I guess I write because it's my creative outlet. And yes, it does relieve some stress, but more importantly, I write because it's the only way I know to say what I really mean. When I write, I feel like people can really see the real me. People can finally hear what I really want to say.

Essentially, that's why I write. I guess I really am a writer. Who knew?