I have always been a people watcher. Writing begins on the inside and is spurred by observations of the world around us. There is something about writers though. We take in the world with a bit of a heightened sensitivity. I can develop a character around brief observations, interactions, and partial conversations. If I had all the time in the world, I would just sit in a busy place with a notepad.

Some of my favorite places are crowded beaches because you get to watch how groups work together. Any form of public transportation brings out interesting colors in people. Restaurants are fun too.

People are stories just waiting to unfold, and need someone to capture them on paper.

My daughter had an English assignment last year. I can’t remember exactly what the exercise was, but she had to develop a character for a creative piece. I asked her a few questions about her story idea. Within a few seconds I dashed off a few ideas of where she could take the story.

Her eyes were huge and she said “Mom…why aren’t you writing more?” I didn’t have a good answer for that.

I remember back in college when I was initially in pursuit of an English Composition degree. It was a bit daunting with loads of books to read every night, and not as much of the type of writing that I enjoyed. I tried working for the school paper but reporting and journalism were so not my “thing”.

 That same year, I took Intro to Psychology like hundreds of other students. What I didn’t know, is how interesting this class would become. By the end of it, I was hooked. At this point, I seriously doubted I would survive 4 years of the English Comp degree. I doubted my writing abilities, and really doubted I would be able to get a job down the line after graduation.

 I switched majors to Psychology. I LOVED the classes and the work really didn’t seem like work. I had always wanted to help people, and this could be a way.

Next, I went to that same school paper, and started submitting my own work to it. Poems mostly–short pieces–that was where I was at. They loved them and published ALL of them. Those of us who submitted, would anxiously await when the paper went to print each week. I was writing…my way.

To this day I still have some of those papers in a box.

 It was important to me to keep that part of myself alive in some way.

As I headed away from the dream of writing, and in to my life, I would think about writing often. Should I go back to school? How could I learn to write a book? In the life of raising a family and working full time I could not see that coming to fruition.

Occasionally I would write. A blog or two for my gym, creative pieces here and there. It wasn’t really enough.

I still couldn’t see the how.

Those little voices–our intuition –and the signs that pop up may be dismissed for many reasons. I believe when we are ready to receive them, they can show us the HOW.

About 8 months ago I began searching around online about writing. I stumbled in to some amazing websites that provided classes on many types of writing. Some would even take you on part time, and try you out as a freelance writer. This was news to me! WOW!

For years I had envisioned driving to a campus, or paying thousands of dollars to take online classes. Each year I had signed up for a writers’ workshop, I couldn’t attend for one reason or the other.

And so I began…taking the online classes, free webinars, anything I could get my hands on. I started to submit blogs, creative pieces, copywriting and more. I was writing and building up my samples and confidence.

My writing requests began to fill up. I was pinching myself! I had found a way to learn and “do” at the same time. This is an ongoing growth process. I have just begun.

Sometimes, it just may take looking at things differently when we are in pursuit of our goals and dreams. Talking to people, researching and uncovering solutions.