I believe that everybody has thought about becoming a writer at some stage of their life. I remember being given the task of writing a story when I was in infants school. Obviously one of the first lessons in composition! The story I wrote was incredible! It covered about ten lines in my exercise book, was started in my neatest handwriting but trailed off into something more akin to my handwriting of today, and was submitted to my publisher (the teacher) on deadline. I was convinced that a career in writing had started right there. The next lesson involved plasticine, and my career as a sculptor had begun! After that we had to draw something and I drew a car. My career as a designer had begun!
I think you can see where this is going. The point is that I am sure we might all have been something different in our lives, but for the throw of the dice and our commitment. Obviously, ability plays a considerable part, but I am sure that any creative person, in any discipline where they feel comfortable and given the right inspiration, stimulation and commitment, could achieve anything!
For my part, I used writing to explore my emotions as they applied to events that were happening around me. These became in effect, elaborated ‘Dear Diary’ anecdotes. Eventually these anecdotes became the basis of random pieces with re-engineered endings along the ‘what-if’ route. It was then that I realised that I had already started writing fiction!
However, the epiphany came when I retired and found I could ‘legitimately’ spend time at the keyboard, writing. My objective isn’t to find fame and fortune (though one, other or both would be nice), but to exorcise my need to write. It is a less physical, creative outlet than building and as such better suits my years. (Visions of Winston Churchill, wrapped in a coat and seated at an easel in front of the wall he built at Chartwell, spring to mind.) He too wrote, but I am afraid the erudition of his volumes may never find its way into mine! However, I will not let that dampen my spirit, and it shouldn’t dampen the spirit of anyone who wants to tell a story or express themselves in print.