Have I always been a writer? Yes! I wrote before I could put words on paper. I wrote in my head by imagination and created stories by pretend play with my siblings and friends.
Part of my first “novel” I wrote when I was 6. The Mouse and the Fan
I've been physically writing soon after I could put words together on paper. My first “novel” was when I was 6 years old. My writing consisted of mostly novels. I'd get lost in fantasy while writing when I was a shy, anxious child in elementary school. Writing was always there for me. It was a way I could express myself when I felt no one really saw me, especially certain teachers…
Report cards
One of many negative comments from an elementary school report card that I recently found. There are more, and that will be another post. I was a poster child for ADHD, but that wasn't noticed in the 70s and 80s when I was in school. So many of us didn't get the supports we needed back then. I'm thankful that has changed.
Here is a short story I wrote for 9th English class. Handwritten (no computers available then). My editing skills weren't the best, but my teacher appreciated the other aspects of my story like plot, story development and character development. I received an A++ on that assignment!! Thank you for believing in me Mr. Wood. Thank you for using my writing as a positive example for my class and also for future classes in years to come. In a small way my writing lived on.
I hid my writing as a teen because it wasn't “cool”
By the time I was a teen, I barely wrote because writing wasn't “cool” or so I thought. I was more interested in social life, and I hid that part of myself.
I've continued to write in journals through the years. I even wrote a novel that was part fiction and part autobiographical about my years as a hairstylist. I saved it on a floppy disk, because that would save it forever, right?? I'm still working on transferring that, so far, I haven't had much luck
One of 3 filing cabinets that house many of my handwritten creative writings and journals
Some of the writing in my adult years. I was the winner of an essay contest about vacation memories. My siblings and I are pictures at the top of article
I'm thankful for Substack. I have a platform and a home for my writing. I am honored that people are reading my writing and commenting. I have a little over 600 subscribers now and several paid subscribers. I'm trying not to compare myself to other writers. When I compare, I am taking away the joy writing gives me and also my why of being a writer.
Questions:
How old were you when you started writing?
What is your why for being a writer?
Written April 2024 and updated May 2025- by Jane Deegan
I began writing short stories when I was seven, I'll persuade my elder brother to read them. It was mostly princess stories because I was obsessed with Disney at the time 😂
And now, writing is a way I express myself. It helps me process my emotions and understand the world around me.
Very beautiful post😊❤️
Hi Jane, great that you have these artefacts. I loved writing letters when l was a child and always wanted a pen pal. So, l guess l wasn’t a creative writer, which is still the case given my Substack is personal essays. I did enjoy writing short stories, which more so focused on descriptive writing rather than following the narrative arc. And there is a synchronicity in that the current piece l am working on includes those ill informed judgements teachers can make, l had one of those too, and like you, the teacher that instills some self belief. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day 😊