Writing Challenge

I do this every once in awhile to really make sure that my writing skills keep improving. I guess I have learned a lot over this past year, and particularly this quarter. Things about myself, things about life, and most importantly to me, things about writing.

With each new experience, each new memory, and each new elevation, I realize that there are so many stories out in the world. Somehow, it always seems like a daunting task to want to tell each and every one of them. Yet, in my goal to write and publish an inspiring story, I realize I have improved much to reaching it. My grasp of grammar has become better, so too has my word choice (though I still need to expand my vocabulary) and my voice. With this, and many other improving tools, if I can just keep writing everyday, I feel like I can reach the goals I set out to accomplish.

So, I think it's time for another one of my writing challenges. I'm thinking about writing a short story - around 10 pages or less. To make it a truly an inspiring story, I'm shooting for either a "Christmas Story" or a "Children's Story." I'm hoping the tale will be somewhat timeless and feel good.

Before, my challenges have always been broad in the premise, hoping to only hone in one specific skill or another. Themes have always been something like: practice first person writing, understand the use of present and conditional tenses, practice prose, and understand cadence and alliteration, among others. I won't say I have always followed through on these, or have managed to do anything in much success, yet, I believe I did learn from it.

This new challenge is much more specific in the premise, but much more vague on the skill on which I wish to brush up. I guess if I had to name one, it would be just plain storytelling.

Haha, reading this journal entry, it sounds a bit silly. I don't really understand why I want to write so badly. It's not prestigious. It's not safe. It's not a pathway to wealth. Yet, it makes me happy. I had always dreamed that I would be a famous someone in life. Perhaps an actor, or a talkshow host. Perhaps a professor or a diplomat. Yet, writer? They are little known, little heard, except for the little books they leave behind.

Yet, that suits me just fine. The rush of words fills me. It helps me cope with the stresses of life. And it will always feed the dreams that I have. No matter how old I get, I will never lose this one part of my youth: my dreams. They may be impractical. They may be out of my reach. Yet, I will rather die trying to attain this, than settle for anything else.

It's sad because I have no talent for the craft. Math, science and even the social sciences have always come easier to me than writing. I have always grasped those other things with minimal effort. Yet, here, in the field that I have consistently struggled in, I feel the most free and the most like me.

Thinking on this, I cannot help but smile a sad smile. Perhaps it was meant to be this way. With a bittersweet heart, I will quietly, unbeknown to the rest of the world, complete my own writing challenge. It may be useless. It may not affect the world in anyway possible.

Yet, I will do it.

Because this is my craft.

This is my heart.