To write or not to write, that is the question!   Okay, maybe it is not the question, butit may be one you wrestle with. I know I did. I began writing when I was achild in sixth grade. My family had just survived a traumatic event, and mytwelve year old mind was struggling to comprehend it. I couldn't understand whyit had happen, and why the people involved even allowed it to happen. It tookme years to finally figure that one out, by the way.

  I still remember tothis day what inspired me to write the poem that came out of that mess. Highlights(for kids), remember that fun little magazines from your childhood? I wasskimming through the magazine, reading my favorite sections-probably Goofus andGallent;} I came to a selection of poems written by kids; I was mesmerized. Ipulled out a pencil and began. I probably wrote a few Roses are Red type poems first knowing me, I'm not sure, but I doremember writing the poem that started it all. I wrote my feelings about whathad happened, not going into detail, but more or less summarizing it in generalterms like Love, and Pain and Confusion. It gave me great comfort to just writeit all down. I showed it to my mom, she didn't believe I'd written it. Mymother has never been big on complements, mind you, so her surprised at howwell the poem had turned out gave me encouragement.


 Next, I wrote a few poems for a seventh grade English classthat were well received by my peers. In college, I graduated to writing a shortstory about a young boy who'd commented suicide. His death troubled me sodeeply I couldn't get it off my mind.  Iwrote about his struggles, adding some of my own details since I didn't knoweverything that contributed to his ultimate surrender to death. My teacherraved about the story and encouraged me to publish.For me, writing became a way to deal with things thatweighed heavy on my mind. To this day if something bothers me, I write aboutit. Most of the time my writings do not enlighten me with any big revelations,or life-altering tidbits, but writing my thoughts down helps me sort through itand come to peace with whatever it is.

 So my advice: Write! If not for others, write for yourself,at least at first.  You may begin writingand before you know it, a novel is born! There just may be a Les Misérables inside of youbegging to be published...then they'll make a Broadway play out of your book…then a movie starring Liam Neeson…
 Younever know until you try!