My Reading and writing journey thus far.

 

Ever since fourth grade, I dreamed of becoming a writer. In 2009, I brought that dream to life by penning my very first novel, The Pie Thief. From the back cover, "Oh no! Aunt Olive's pizza has gone missing! We don't know who stole the long, life-giving deep-dish pizza. Jack, Anna, and Tom will have to use all their courage. Pizza the Evil rat Peso might be a suspect. Will Jack, Anna, and Tom get the pizza back in time to make Aunt Olive happy, or will the bad guy win the day? Find out when you read The Pie Thief!" for National Novel Writing Month in 2009

Looking back, my passion for writing sparked at age ten, and my love for reading blossomed in middle school. Because of my CP, typing was a challenge, and speech-to-text software was out of reach due to my speech disability.

When I was in eighth grade, I faced the daunting task of writing an autobiography. At just fourteen, I felt my story was barely beginning. Thankfully, my mom helped me type it out, supporting me through the challenges of mild cerebral palsy.

And for an 8th-grade graduation gift, I met Wendelin Van Draanen. author of my favourite kids’ book, Flipped, from Goodreads:” Flipped is a romance told in two voices. The first time Juli Baker saw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time Bryce saw Juli, he ran. That's pretty much the pattern for these two neighbors until the eighth grade, when, just as Juli is realizing Bryce isn't as wonderful as she thought, Bryce is starting to see that Juli is pretty amazing. How these two teens manage to look past appearances and come together makes for a comic and poignant romance.

I became a bookworm in high school! I had less homework in high school than my peers, which was a huge blessing. Thanks, in part, to my IEP (Individualized Education Program). An Individualized Education Program is a legal document under United States law developed for each public school child who needs special education. IEPs must be reviewed annually to monitor the child's educational progress. Similar legal documents exist in other countries. I struggled my junior year of high school   with an An C in both English classes and the first semester of chemistry  

Thanks to Goodreads, what’s that?  from Google’s AI, a free social cataloging website and app owned by Amazon that helps people discover, track, and review books, acting as an extensive social network for readers. Users can create virtual bookshelves for books they've read, are currently reading, or want to read, rate and review books, get individualized advice, join reading groups, and participate in annual reading challenges. It's a hub for book lovers to connect, share opinions, and find their next fantastic book.  Ever since the first year of high school, I have had free time to read whatever I wanted, whether that is Christian living, apologetics, Star Wars, or John Green. I loved reading! I always carried a book with me.

Junior year brought its share of struggles, with a C in both English and chemistry. But senior year opened new doors: creative writing and public speaking classes that let me taste the writer’s life. College slowed things down, and I’m currently on a break, but my writing grew stronger with every assignment, like the short love story inspired by a poem. About a year ago, after much encouragement from my family, I finally launched this blog. Now, I hope it leads to a job and, one day, a future in ministry where writing plays a central role.

Here’s to hope for the future!

*(Thanks to Grammarly AI for helping me write!)