Few people are fortunate enough to be able to say that they are living their dream. I am one who has realized my dream of becoming a professional writer. It did not happen over night, nor by luck, or any one particular reason other than I tend to believe writers are born to be writers. You have to have some talent and the desire to do something with it. I loved to write and still do. I am not a professor nor do I claim to be an expert on the subject of writing. I merely wish to share my experiences with you and relate to you what has worked for me in my writing life. I always looked forward to study hall in school because I could write during it. If I got bored while in any of my regular classes, I would write during them as well. I remember getting caught writing a poem during my Humanities class in high school. The teacher seemed more interested in hearing the poem than in punishing me so she had me read it to the class. I was a terrible note taker and the teacher most likely knew I was writing in her class but she left me alone after that. I was quite fortunate to have had a wonderful mentor in my younger years who taught me a lot about being a writer. I can still hear him telling me that the most important advice he could give me was to write, write, write. He said to make time to write everyday. That was good sound advice. I tell any aspiring writer that asks me the same thing. It works like magic. Let me caution you on one thing in regards to submitting your work once you are ready to be published. Don't pay anyone to have your manuscript published. If it is good writing they should be paying you to publish it. My love affair with words began at the tender age of five years old. That is quite young to be intrigued by words but that is when it all began. I loved the sound of words. My father read me poetry and I would sit in awe of every word that came out through his throat. I still love poetry to this day and have had many of my poems published throughout the United States.

"Enchantment" Music by Beautiful Tonight http://d21c.com/BeautifulTonight/

I am not one to give advice on writing. I can, however, share my experiences with you and help to guide you as I was guided by my mentor. I am where I am because I discovered I had talent, kept writing and was persistent in submitting my work to publishers. I rarely have trouble finding something to write about because I have usually got something rolling around in my brain. It was my mentor who taught me that I didn't have to get writer's block if I remembered one thing. He said if I lacked a topic to write about think of my nose. Yes, that's right! I said think of my nose . Look at what it is ponting at and write about what you see. I can look at a picture, a flower, a person and think of something to write about the subject. It sounds too simple but it always works for me. I like to think of myself as a word warrior. I am not afraid to take chances with my writing. Maybe, I was just a bit ahead of my time. Things that I wrote many years ago have recently been published and well received I might add. No, my page is not about bragging. It is about believing in yourself. It is about my realization that writing is part of my soul's work. It is about sharing my gift as a way of giving back to life.