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It’s a question I ask as part of the regular author profile feature (appearing in this space Thursdays.)
It’s one of those questions that I find endlessly fascinating, like:
1. How did you and your love first meet?
2. What do the voices in your head tell you?
3. Would you rather be right or happy?
Almost every writer, it seems, can remember the moment they felt the pull.
Maybe it happened when they read a great book. (Which book was it for you?) Or they like the lifestyle because they are unsuited for anything else (read: you are otherwise unemployable.) Maybe they had an amazing experience they had to share or teach. (What was yours?) Even a lousy book spurs some people to say, “I could do better than this crap!” (If that’s you, which book was it?)
For me, it began with reading, I’m sure, though there wasn’t a particular book that got me thinking writing was for me. I first announced my writerly intentions to strangers. I was maybe eight, though it’s hard to say. I ascribe any vague memory from childhood to that year and, in truth, it can’t possibly have been that eventful. That would leave all the other years empty of anything. But that is how it feels.
The strangers to whom I made my announcement were the printers at a local shop. I wandered in (ignorance is a strange propellant) and asked for paper. “For a book” I added, because I thought I needed to get it from them, for some reason now unfathomable.
I remember the inky and oily smell of the place and the noise of the machines. I loved that smell. I still love stationery stores. All those empty pages call to me. Due to this compulsion, which stops just short of a sexual fetish, I own many more journals than I’ll ever fill and many more pens than I could ever use. The smell in that shop (and the look and smell of sunlight on turquoise water colour paint) are the only solid sense memories I carry from early childhood.
The printers smiled, indulged me, and I walked out with some brownish scrap paper. I walked taller and with real purpose, probably for the first time. I should have been holed up in a library at that stage, though I did that, too. I always preferred books to people. Childhood was rough.
Imagination, stories and the waiting world were my escape.
They still are.
When did you first know?
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Filed under: Author profiles, author Q&A, Books, publishing, What about Chazz?, Writers, beginning writing, books, love of books, reading, writers, writing
C h a z z W r i t e s . c o m 
Hi Chazz — I also love hearing the answer to this question…It never gets old. I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was in 2nd grade, and decided to write a book of poems instead of pay attention to my math work. That scene replayed many times throughout my school career 😉
Enjoyed your story — thanks for sharing it.
Thanks for your thoughtful reply.
And thanks for reading!
I always feel so lame when I answer this question. It feels like every other writer knew from a very young age that writing is all they ever wanted to do, and it really shows in their work. Me, I would’ve been content to be a reader my entire life, but a few years ago I ran into a teacher from high school who asked me if I’d written a book yet. At that moment it was such a bizarre and random question, like I could’ve said “nope, have you flown to the moon?”
I would think back on that conversation and every time I would laugh a little bit. But I kept thinking about it. At the time I was in a bad relationship (I’ll spare you the details) and I wasn’t sleeping well at night so I kinda thought why not? A teacher I really respected assumed I could do it. What else was I doing in the empty hours between midnight and dawn? Compared to a lot of the writers I see on twitter and whatnot I’m definitely lagging behind a bit. I’ll get there, though. Now that I’ve started I can’t stop.
A lot of writers just kind of shrug at the question. I think in the nature versus nurture debate, they’re on the side of nature. It’s a genetic impulse they can neither control nor deny. Which raises the question, were some cave people really frustrated before they figured a way to express themselves with cave painting?
Great question and great story. I always knew I’d be a writer – I can’t pinpoint any age. But it’s only recently that I decided I NEED to write a book. I’ve been writing for a living for 20+ years but somehow my book writing always got put on hold. No more. You and other writers on Twitter are inspiring me to finally write my book. Good blog, btw. 🙂
You just made my night after a stressful week.
Thanks!