How did you first get into writing?

Hi all! My question is: how did you first get into writing and what is your writer's story? Were you inspired by a book you read? Does a person you know write? Did you write something for school and thought, "Hey, I'm not so bad at this!"

For me, there is no definite point I decided I wanted to write. I've written stories since I was three, and they were picture books about four pages long and the words rhymed. I wrote a whole collection, but eventually my mother threw them away and I'm only left with memories. Then, in second/third grade, I wrote a whole chapter book (equivalent to about 20 pages). It was a whole story about a snowman who didn't want to melt with illustrations and real chapters, albeit only a few sentences long. I was so proud. After that, I would attempt at writing full novels on the computer between the ages of 9 and 13, but they usually only spanned about three chapters. They were abandoned.
Then I took a hiatus from writing and I dived into reading. I read a lot, almost too much, and my classmates thought I was weird because every two days I'd have a different book in my hand.
I read this one book and felt the weirdest urge to write something similar to it. And so, though not quite so similar, my first novel began. It is still on my old laptop, and it is about 60 chapters/75K long. It remains unfinished. After that, I tried once again to write a whole novel but failed until I found out about a certain Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition. It forced me to write a full (horrible, horrible) novel in one month. But it was complete. Two NaNoWriMos later and I've now written three complete novels and know more about publishing a book than the common person.
So, I really don't know when or how I first got into writing. It was just kind of in me all along.

What about you?

Wow! Your story is much cooler than mine. I wish I could say I'd been writing since I was three, but honestly when I was younger my mom used to force us to write in journals (I'm thankful she did now! Those entries are so cool) but I HATED it.

I didn't even think about making up my own stories until my mom started writing. Once she did (I was 10) that very night I sat down with a piece of paper and wrote my first chapter. That was never finished, but a few days later I began my first novel, which I did finish, but (of course) it sucked. REALLY sucked.

From then on it's been a journey of trying to keep myself writing, trying to think of new ideas and yadda yadda...all that. But my mom (as well as other successful writers like Christopher P (author of Eragon) and JK Rowling) have always been there to inspire me to continue.

I've been writing for as long as I can remember, and definitely way before I got into reading. Really I just loved it, I loved making up stories and what really got me into it is that my brother had basketball and I was little so I had to go to his practices so I would bring paper and a pen and I would write stories while he played. I've always written, and I wrote my first book when I was nine going on ten, it was probably 20 pages tops on the computer ,but when I got a computer in my room is really when I got into writing (I hate writing with a pen and paper) so when I could type it I started writing more.
@Lizzy I think first novels always suck! I know mine did!
@Mayaah wow, you make me feel like a slacker, you've written so much! I really wish I could do a novel in a month, I wanted to do NaNoWriMo but I wasn't sure because I didn't want to enter until I would for sure be able to do it.

Sarah wrote:I've been writing for as long as I can remember, and definitely way before I got into reading. Really I just loved it, I loved making up stories and what really got me into it is that my brother had basketball and I was little so I had to go to his practices so I would bring paper and a pen and I would write stories while he played. I've always written, and I wrote my first book when I was nine going on ten, it was probably 20 pages tops on the computer ,but when I got a computer in my room is really when I got into writing (I hate writing with a pen and paper) so when I could type it I started writing more.
@Lizzy I think first novels always suck! I know mine did!
@Mayaah wow, you make me feel like a slacker, you've written so much! I really wish I could do a novel in a month, I wanted to do NaNoWriMo but I wasn't sure because I didn't want to enter until I would for sure be able to do it.

Same here, about writing on the computer. I learned to type as fast as I do now by writing novels on the computer. I quickly learned that typing was easier than writing by hand!

Me too! And one of the perks of being a writer is that, since we can type fast, typing up school papers is easy

Sarah wrote:Me too! And one of the perks of being a writer is that, since we can type fast, typing up school papers is easy

Ahh! YES! And emails and anything else you need to type. It's a great skill to have.

Ha yes! And my brother started paying me to type his papers up since hes such a slow typer, it's awesome

Sarah wrote:Ha yes! And my brother started paying me to type his papers up since hes such a slow typer, it's awesome

LUCKY! That's great.

First of all, I just have to say, Lizzy, you sound like Kaleb Nation! His mom made him write in notebooks and he hated it. Now, he's published.

I've been writing for YEARS. But I didn't start taking it seriously until I was fifteen. I don't think I had anyone who really motivated or inspired me, but a math teacher did really like my writing once, ha ha!

AWriterGoneMad wrote:First of all, I just have to say, Lizzy, you sound like Kaleb Nation! His mom made him write in notebooks and he hated it. Now, he's published.

I've been writing for YEARS. But I didn't start taking it seriously until I was fifteen. I don't think I had anyone who really motivated or inspired me, but a math teacher did really like my writing once, ha ha!

Oh that makes me feel better! It's not exactly the most inspiring writing history.

Wow, a lot of you guys have been writing since you were younger. &y'all have so much done lol.

I've always loved to read throughout elementary & middle school but I never thought to write as a kid. I tried to write a story in middle school after reading a bunch of fan fics on a forum but I totally sucked lol. I wrote my first poem in my English class, Freshman year of high school. I still remember the very moment those first lines came to me.
I didn't try writing again until a couple of years later but all of my stuff just stayed unfinished. It wasn't until NaNoWriMo this past year that I wrote my first complete novel which is the same one I'm working on now.
Sometimes I wonder how I spent so much time in my childhood NOT writing when it's the thing that I love doing the most. It's weird.

I soo know what you mean, in a way at least. I spent the whole eight grade without writing, it was a really crazy year and all but looking back I can't believe I spent a whole year without writing!

Shahira wrote:Wow, a lot of you guys have been writing since you were younger. &y'all have so much done lol.

I've always loved to read throughout elementary & middle school but I never thought to write as a kid. I tried to write a story in middle school after reading a bunch of fan fics on a forum but I totally sucked lol. I wrote my first poem in my English class, Freshman year of high school. I still remember the very moment those first lines came to me.
I didn't try writing again until a couple of years later but all of my stuff just stayed unfinished. It wasn't until NaNoWriMo this past year that I wrote my first complete novel which is the same one I'm working on now.
Sometimes I wonder how I spent so much time in my childhood NOT writing when it's the thing that I love doing the most. It's weird.

Everyone starts at different times. Even I feel like I started late compared to a lot of other people on these forums.

And about the unfinished stuff you wouldn't believe how much of my stuff I never finished! I have literally folders FULL of ideas and paragraph starts.

@Sarah Yeah, it seems odd when you look back & think, "How did I survive?!" lol.

@Lizzy I guess that's what it takes to write something great. You need to practice on unfinished little bits & pieces that are just okay lol.

Shahira wrote:@Sarah Yeah, it seems odd when you look back & think, "How did I survive?!" lol.

@Lizzy I guess that's what it takes to write something great. You need to practice on unfinished little bits & pieces that are just okay lol.

I guess so. Whenever I start a novel it's always up in the air whether I'll finish it or not. I'm really hoping to finish my current WIP. I need some more discipline, I think. Too many times I've lost interest after about the 3rd chapter.

*determined not to let that happen...AGAIN*

@Lizzy I lose interest as well. It's so hard to just force yourself to finish something when you feel blah about it.
I think for me I keep pressuring myself about writing something worthy of getting published so I don't just write openly. I'm always over thinking what I write.

Shahira wrote:@Lizzy I lose interest as well. It's so hard to just force yourself to finish something when you feel blah about it.
I think for me I keep pressuring myself about writing something worthy of getting published so I don't just write openly. I'm always over thinking what I write.

ME TOO! That's the story of my life. Sometimes I have to remind myself it's all about practicing and learning through your mistakes...but all the same. That pressure is always there.

Lizzy wrote:Wow! Your story is much cooler than mine. I wish I could say I'd been writing since I was three, but honestly when I was younger my mom used to force us to write in journals (I'm thankful she did now! Those entries are so cool) but I HATED it.

I didn't even think about making up my own stories until my mom started writing. Once she did (I was 10) that very night I sat down with a piece of paper and wrote my first chapter. That was never finished, but a few days later I began my first novel, which I did finish, but (of course) it sucked. REALLY sucked.

From then on it's been a journey of trying to keep myself writing, trying to think of new ideas and yadda yadda...all that. But my mom (as well as other successful writers like Christopher P (author of Eragon) and JK Rowling) have always been there to inspire me to continue.

Aha! Yes, looking back on old journal entries amuses me once in a while.
It's cool your mom writes! You can probably talk to her about writing and stuff.
Other successful writers inspire me also; I don't feel jealousy because of them, just the want to do as well as them.

Sarah wrote:I've been writing for as long as I can remember, and definitely way before I got into reading. Really I just loved it, I loved making up stories and what really got me into it is that my brother had basketball and I was little so I had to go to his practices so I would bring paper and a pen and I would write stories while he played. I've always written, and I wrote my first book when I was nine going on ten, it was probably 20 pages tops on the computer ,but when I got a computer in my room is really when I got into writing (I hate writing with a pen and paper) so when I could type it I started writing more.
@Lizzy I think first novels always suck! I know mine did!
@Mayaah wow, you make me feel like a slacker, you've written so much! I really wish I could do a novel in a month, I wanted to do NaNoWriMo but I wasn't sure because I didn't want to enter until I would for sure be able to do it.

Whoo! I loved writing on the computer when I was younger (and now). I love the sound of the keys clicking.
Lol, I've just written so much because I have so much free time. I encourage you to do NaNoWriMo, it's such a great experience and if anything you get a first draft and experience out of it. So try it this year! Really, I am quite the slacker. I can't get anything done without a deadline, such as NaNoWriMo, or a contest.

AWriterGoneMad wrote:First of all, I just have to say, Lizzy, you sound like Kaleb Nation! His mom made him write in notebooks and he hated it. Now, he's published.

I've been writing for YEARS. But I didn't start taking it seriously until I was fifteen. I don't think I had anyone who really motivated or inspired me, but a math teacher did really like my writing once, ha ha!

Lol, math teacher! How ironic. My math teachers are terrified of language/novels.
I didn't take my writing seriously until recently either. It was just a hobby until I realized you can (for reals!) get published.

Shahira wrote:Wow, a lot of you guys have been writing since you were younger. &y'all have so much done lol.

I've always loved to read throughout elementary & middle school but I never thought to write as a kid. I tried to write a story in middle school after reading a bunch of fan fics on a forum but I totally sucked lol. I wrote my first poem in my English class, Freshman year of high school. I still remember the very moment those first lines came to me.
I didn't try writing again until a couple of years later but all of my stuff just stayed unfinished. It wasn't until NaNoWriMo this past year that I wrote my first complete novel which is the same one I'm working on now.
Sometimes I wonder how I spent so much time in my childhood NOT writing when it's the thing that I love doing the most. It's weird.

Yes, thank goodness for NaNoWriMo, eh?
At least you found your passion!

Mayaah wrote:Whoo! I loved writing on the computer when I was younger (and now). I love the sound of the keys clicking.

I LOVE that sound too!!

Mayaah wrote:

Shahira wrote:Wow, a lot of you guys have been writing since you were younger. &y'all have so much done lol.

I've always loved to read throughout elementary & middle school but I never thought to write as a kid. I tried to write a story in middle school after reading a bunch of fan fics on a forum but I totally sucked lol. I wrote my first poem in my English class, Freshman year of high school. I still remember the very moment those first lines came to me.
I didn't try writing again until a couple of years later but all of my stuff just stayed unfinished. It wasn't until NaNoWriMo this past year that I wrote my first complete novel which is the same one I'm working on now.
Sometimes I wonder how I spent so much time in my childhood NOT writing when it's the thing that I love doing the most. It's weird.

Yes, thank goodness for NaNoWriMo, eh?
At least you found your passion!

I'm like you & can only get things done with a dead line so NaNo was the thing for me lol. It was crazy how much I was getting done. &I felt so engrossed in my novel that after I was done writing it I just felt out of place.
I'm glad I realized how much writing means to me, even if it was a little late in life.

[/quote] I'm like you & can only get things done with a dead line so NaNo was the thing for me lol. It was crazy how much I was getting done. &I felt so engrossed in my novel that after I was done writing it I just felt out of place.
I'm glad I realized how much writing means to me, even if it was a little late in life. [/quote]

Yep! It does seem quite empty when you finish a novel and are like, "Now what?" lol. I remember the first days of December felt empty because I wasn't excecssively writing into the AM hours. xP

Yeah that's how it was for me. It was such a weird feeling. I took some time off after finishing the novel & actually missed my characters lol.