What made you start writing?

[Nathan Bransford]

Do you remember when you decided you wanted to be a writer? What was the spark?

For me it was reading Roald Dahl's books. I loved them so much I wanted to write my own. But I forgot about that dream for a while until I was in high school and a classmate's murder made me take up the pen again. I've been writing off and on ever since.

What about you?

[PeterTaylor]

No one fixed occasion - it developed.

I never enjoyed creative writing in school, but when I was about 17, I was a keen naturalist and enjoyed writing a guide book to a local nature reserve where I was going to show people around. After studying, I got a job as a museum curator and loved writing pamphlets and audiovisual scripts. Then as a science teacher, one of the best parts was re-writing text books for children with learning difficulties. And I wrote another naure reserve guide.

Later, I had expertise in calligraphy and the totally hand-produced book was gratifying. In 1985 a friend was offered an opportunity to write a calligraphy book for publication, but she said she didn't have time and put my name forward - my first traditionally published book (Allen and Unwin and HarperCollins UK). But I still didn't want to write more books.

It wasn't until I had kids that I made up stories. They were so bad, I'd fall asleep telling them and the children would still be awake, so my wife told me I should do a course and learn to do it properly. That was 1998...and writing has been 'in the blood' ever since, though the seeds were there earlier.

I didn't get the next contract until 2008. Including spin off products, I've now had about 8 boooks published, but none of them have come from a submission.

[Shilden_T72]

I was just extremely annoyed that the stories I wanted to read didn't exist!
There's so many stories that would be a whole new level of cool if they were to be told in books, movies, games, anything; but nobody is putting their butts to work, so I have to do it by myself! It's as if I was craving stories that haven't been written yet, as if I could not be satisfied without something that is yet to come to this world... and this leaves me with no choice but to write and bring these stories to our world myself.

[DrifterNZ]

For me it was that nearly every fantasy book I read had a hero born in some little out of the way village who grew up to defeat the evil overlord.
I always wondered how the overlord got to that position of power and if the overlord was born evil, or did turn evil becuse of circiumstances during his life.
So I decided to write one overlords story to find out.

[karinda]

I am an artist. However I decided to make book with my art and had to write about my paintings and drawings. I found I really liked this art form and created several art books and also picture books for children. Then I joined a writing group and really enjoyed writing short stories and poetry. Then I created a novel and have written several others. All are self-published.

[spiceagent11]

to write a calligraphy book for publication, but she said she didn't have time and put my name forward - my first traditionally published book.... VidMate VidMate App https://myfiosgateway.win/

[boozyninja]

Nathan you are an inspiration to me, so the fact is that you made me write my very first book. thanks to you.
offshorededi
streamingdedi

[ZiporaTilda]

Writing helped me articulate my thoughts into a usable format which I could share with others and impact life.
It was also an escape for me and provided just the write therapy for me.

[tebobamaqe]

I'm not sure if I want to become a writer, but I certainly know that my goal is to improve writing skills and I do it by means practicing writing from time to time and crafting some short but interesting stories.

[martalauterbach]

Ever since I was a child, I had a dream of becoming a writer because the works I learned in school were very good. However, growing up to be a real writer is really difficult. Maybe I'm just a content creator, not really calling myself a writer.
tiny fishing

[FaroukMiah]

I'm new to this forum, and of course I'm not a writer, I'm here to read your work, I really like most of your works.

[margaretraby]

I started writing because I enjoyed it. I've traced the starting point to being about 6-7 years old. In my teenage years I wrote because it was a way of thinking. Sometimes also because it was a way to make emotions visible and tell stories. When I studied drama at university, I realized that - besides the earlier points - writing is also about structures and form affects the content and that writing is a beautiful media for people to create something together. About ten years after that, I began the latest journey with writing. Even though I've written different kinds of texts at work and in various projects, I had never realized how writing can lead you to a state in which you can be improvising with yourself. For two years or so I've written poems, short stories and I have a novel in the making, and it's mainly because I feel so at home while writing. It gives me a safe space to explore, create and express different realities.

There have been many times that I've thought that writing is "just" a tool for me and that I'm not a very good writer who's got something to say. But I've realized that these beliefs have been false and I shouldn't let them keep me from writing.