Where does my writing come from?

I have lived in the same place all my life. I was born in Winchester and live in a village near Eastleigh. I have never lived or spent an exceedingly long amount of time anywhere else other than Hampshire. In my spare time, I mostly read books written by Cecelia Ahern and occasionally thrillers such as Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson.

Living in Hampshire has had an impact on my writing as I write about what I know and have seen; it would be pointless to write about events I know nothing about, which happened in somewhere I have never been. It definitely wouldn't be believable. I have also visited other cities and traveled to various countries which has enabled my writing to become more interesting. The books I have read haven’t affected my writing to much extent but they have inspired me to think of creative plots and characters when I write fiction.

Most of what I write comes from the things I have experienced mixed with my imagination, rather than where I live and what I have read. Similarly, Amy Lowell described that the poet Emily Dickinson was ‘sinking under the weight of an introverted imagination’, maybe as a result of her decision to isolate herself, which is clearly shown in her writing. Perhaps where she was from and what she had read were not relevant to her writing in this time of her life.

In the end, I suppose my writing would be rather dull if it wasn't for my imagination and the things I have experienced throughout my life, whether they have happened where I live or during the times I have spent away from home.

How is it that I became a writer?

I have never really considered myself to be a Writer. I don’t think I will, until I have written something that I think is worth other people reading. I have always written for myself and I have considered it a hobby.

In Negotiating with the Dead, Margaret Atwood mentions that a good many writers have had storytellers in their lives. This is how I was introduced to stories as a child. My grandad told me all kinds of stories and as I grew older, I told these stories and some of my own to my younger sister.

Writing stories, rather than telling them, is something I became interested in as I grew older. As a child, my favourite author was Jacqueline Wilson. After reading her stories, I began to write my own. At first, they were close imitations of Wilson’s stories. I’d changed the names of the characters and their appearances but the plots were very similar. After a while, I eventually began to create my own ideas for stories.

It wasn’t until I began my classes at college that I became interested in other types of writing, besides fiction. We were required to write reviews and magazine articles in one class which I enjoy writing today. Now in university, my interest in writing has become much more enthusiastic, as my course covers all kinds of writing. I think that in time, my writing will become something that I don’t just consider to be a hobby and something that I would be happy to share with others.