On the Origins of My Life as a Writer

Julianne Moore as Evelyn Ryan -- The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio (2005)

I've had people ask me in the past whether I always knew I wanted to be a writer because of how much I talk about loving what I do, but truth be told? Not really. I was considered gifted as a child, and I was good at a lot of different things. But for some reason, no one seemed to think writing was my most impressive skill. I did write a lot and enjoy it, but I got a lot more attention for being good at drawing and painting, so most of the authority figures in my life figured I'd grow up to be an artist.

I actually turned out to be one of those gifted kids who never really belong anywhere or gel well with anyone. I'm not what you'd call a team player, and I've always had a reputation for being downright weird. I'm nice enough, but I also don't necessarily like being around people. I'm introverted, highly solitary, and will typically choose to be by myself unless I get along unusually well with someone. I've also never really been what you'd call ambitious. I've always preferred to just stay home and hated anything that required me to be anywhere else for very long, including school and pretty much any traditional working environment.

I tried a few different jobs on for size in my 20s, including vet teching -- the job my mother wanted me to have. I also found most of the things I tried intolerable because of the weird hours and excessive overtime I was expected to put in. I spent most of my 20s working retail for that reason. I detested all the people contact and forced cheerfulness, of course, but the hours were at least flexible, and if I worked on commission, I could afford to pay my bills working only four days a week.

When I met my second husband, he made enough money to support both of us, so I left retail behind and took a stab at becoming a self-employed digital artist. However, while that was fun for what it was, it ultimately wasn't the best fit. I liked the general idea of freelancing and earning money without also commuting back and forth to some office somewhere, though. I also loved the way the internet let me handle every aspect of how that looked myself. 

........

I got the idea to become a writer from a movie, of all places. It's a 2005 biographical film called The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio. Julianne Moore stars as 1950s housewife Evelyn Ryan. Evelyn and her husband Kelly have many children together but are very poor, mainly due to Kelly's alcoholism. However, Evelyn happens to have a knack for writing advertising jingles, slogans, and similar items, so she enters (and wins) many contests dedicated to such things. She's so good at it that her ability to win all these contests keeps the family afloat over the years.

When I first saw this film back in 2005, I had never once considered writing advertising copy for a living. But when I saw Evelyn doing it and making incredible things happen for herself and her family that way, I thought, "I can do that." So, I hopped online, found people who were willing to pay me to "do that," and earned a really decent living at it right away. I've been writing professionally ever since. 

I'm still self-employed and still making a decent living as an independent copywriter, but I've been doing that for a very long time at this point, so it's starting to get stale. I sincerely doubt I'll ever be entirely done with copywriting, as I do like many things about it. It's also an excellent way to score a few extra bucks when I need them. But I also find I far prefer writing stories or sharing my own experiences to providing services for other people, especially as I get older. 

The desire to expand my repertoire as a writer and make more of a name for myself writing my own things is what led me to do what I'm doing now -- blogging more and writing on paying platforms like Medium. I've also been spending a fair amount of time journaling and writing creative material like stories or poems in my spare time, as well. I love that my current writing life is so multi-faceted.

I'm still unsure of where my writing will take me next, but I know I'm excited about it. And yes, I really did get the idea to become a writer in the first place from a movie. In other words, good ideas can come from absolutely anywhere, so keep your eyes open. I'm also living proof that not everyone who's good at something always knew what they wanted to be or found their calling right away in life. I didn't get on the right track until I was well into my 30s, and I'm only just now embracing the kind of work I really want to be doing now in my mid-40s. 

Most of the people in my life, my parents included, thought I was lazy and a complete slacker because I spent my 20s as a retail worker when I was allegedly gifted enough to do "anything." I've also been told straight to my face by people I cared about that I was a complete waste of brains, talent, good looks, and any other positive attributes I could be said to possess. But I still eventually found my bearings in life, figured things out, cultivated healthy relationships with people who actually understood me, and turned out OK. And if I can do it, I assure you anyone can.