Chapter 1: A Poetic Beginning

In the winter of my freshman year in college, I entered a poetry contest with a piece titled "Growing Close." I vividly recall sitting at the kitchen table, pen in hand, crafting the initial draft of this poem, which was just over one hundred words long. It was dedicated to my grandfather, whom I never had the chance to meet. The title signified the bond I felt with him through my writing.

A few months after I sent the poem to the college's publishing group, I received the thrilling news that I had won the contest. This marked my first experience of being published, along with a reward of $100 for my contribution to the school's anthology. Below is an image showcasing my poem in The 33rd anthology:

Image Source: Author Photo (The 33rd)

Reflecting on the journey of "Growing Close," I realized that for quite some time after its publication, I mistakenly believed I had reached the pinnacle of my writing capabilities. While I still hold that poem in high regard, especially considering my novice status at the time, I have since penned many pieces that I believe surpass it.

Section 1.1: The Importance of New Goals

Over the next several years, I crafted a fair number of poems, though far fewer than I was capable of producing. It took me a long time to understand that I hindered my progress by assuming I had peaked too early. Celebrating achievements as a writer is essential, but excessive celebration can stall your journey. It’s crucial to maintain fresh goals, whether that means submitting to more prestigious literary magazines, completing a story for a competition, or achieving a specific word count in your novel.

This past year, I compiled a list of poems for a hypothetical collection and realized I only had about a dozen pieces that met my quality standards. This prompted me to establish a new goal: to create more poems for submission to literary magazines. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to get a few published in the last year.

Subsection 1.1.1: Beyond Writing

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash, edited by author

The insights I've shared extend beyond the realm of writing. Each day presents us with opportunities to better ourselves, working on our weaknesses and establishing goals for the individuals we aspire to become. While some of these goals may pertain to writing, many should focus on areas outside of it. Writers thrive when engaged in diverse activities, drawing inspiration from our experiences to fuel our writing.

It’s through years of documenting our experiences that we come to understand the potential for growth—realizing that the best story is often the one we have yet to write.

Thank you for reading. I hope my journey encourages you to persist in your writing and strive for continuous improvement!

Chapter 2: Inspiring Your Writing Journey

In the video "How to write your personal story to attract, lead and inspire," you’ll discover strategies for crafting narratives that resonate with others and inspire your writing journey.

The motivational video "Basically screaming at you to finish your book (writing motivation 101)" offers a powerful push to overcome procrastination and complete your projects.