Introductions and Formalities

Hello and welcome! Melissa here. I'll usually be posting every Monday, but wanted to get a quick greeting in today.

In this column, I hope to share my experiences with writing, the things that inspire me, frustrate me, and bring me joy. But for this week, I think I will stick to introducing myself. Unlike many of the other SWS members you will read here, writing is not my career goal. I am currently in grad school, earning my masters degree in psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy. My day job is a clerical position in an engineering business. And in my spare time, I write stories. I would like to think that this strange combination of work, school, and play gives me a unique perspective. If you want to be a professional writer, all of the experts will tell you to write, write, write; no matter how dull it becomes. Since I do not want to go professional, I live by the opposite mantra: only do it if you love it. Forced writing shows. And forced writers soon become resentful writers. Like most writers, I would like to be published someday, but I think that many of us lose sight of our craft in pursuit of carrots. I write for no one but myself. If someone else would like to read it – great! If not, I still have the satisfaction of knowing that I have created something that I love. And that, in my opinion, is the most wonderful part of writing.

Stop by next week to read about how I got started writing. See you then!

Posted in: hello,writing