Chapter 1: The Beginning of My Writing Journey

For a long time, I never identified as a "writer." While I found writing reports and essays for school to be simple, I lacked the creativity to craft the captivating stories that "true authors" are known for. Journaling was never my thing; my journal would only be opened once a year or so, usually when I felt the need to clarify my thoughts on paper.

Despite this, I was an avid reader—not just of novels, but of various forms of media. My childhood was filled with books, often consuming several each week, which helped me understand the intricacies of world-building and character development. As I matured and gained access to music and films, I began to analyze how musical arrangements could evoke emotions or how cinematography influenced storytelling.

My adult years, however, didn't see me read nearly as much as I did in my youth. Over the past eight years, I’ve managed to read fewer than twenty books and have watched a mere ten films. In fact, there was a period when I even stopped listening to music altogether, largely due to the demands of graduate school.

The shift in my life was quite predictable. After completing six years of homeschooling as a chronically ill child, I entered college at eighteen. My focus shifted to campus life and volunteering, and I moved across the country to pursue graduate studies. Reading for pleasure became a luxury I couldn't afford. Whenever I did read for enjoyment, it was usually because I was bedridden due to illness.

Life became overwhelming, and the joy of “reading for fun” vanished. Eventually, my health took a significant downturn right after I earned my master’s degree. I transitioned from a state of constant busyness to having an excess of time, with no idea how to fill it. My illness left me so drained that even the thought of engaging in exciting activities seemed impossible.

This frustrating situation led me to sleep—lots of it—for months. When I finally felt a bit more clear-headed, I attempted to read again. It was a surprisingly tough experience. I struggled to comprehend more than a couple of sentences at a time, even finding it hard to read simple text messages. Lines of text would meld together, and I often found myself forgetting what I just read.

Eventually, I gave up—for a while, at least. I turned to video essays on YouTube, and my sister’s stories about the audiobooks she enjoyed prompted me to explore that medium as well. After several attempts, I finally completed an audiobook without dozing off from mental exhaustion.

Then, I encountered a book that captivated my attention to the point where I sought out an ebook version to take notes. This pivotal book (which I’ll delve into in a future post) reignited my passion for reading. Now, I find myself engrossed in a wide range of materials—both fiction and nonfiction—as I seek to absorb as much knowledge as possible.

As a result of this renewed interest in reading, I also began to write extensively. What started as a few jotted thoughts evolved into pages filled with questions and insights as I utilized writing to unravel my mental clutter. This prolific writing led me to ponder, “Is this something worth sharing?” Given this post, I can confidently say that my answer is “yes.”

Section 1.1: The Shift in My Reading Habits

As my circumstances changed, so did my approach to reading. The once-constant flow of books dwindled as life demanded more of my time and energy.

Subsection 1.1.1: Rediscovering Audiobooks

Chapter 2: Finding My Voice Through Writing

In this video, I share my personal journey of how I became a writer, detailing the challenges I faced and the motivations that led me to pen my first book.

This video explores the reasons behind my decision to start writing and the transformative power of storytelling in my life.