subject: How I Became A Writer - Law Of Attraction or Destiny? [print this page] How I Became A Writer - Law Of Attraction or Destiny?
Truth be told, becoming a writer was never a part of my childhood dream.
Having experienced pressure when I was still writing for the school paper, which only happened 4 times every school year, making a career out of this highly mentally and physically stressful field never occurred to me.
But as they say, you can never escape your destiny.
Who would have thought that the once grammatically poor and under-achiever student would be, modesty aside, the Wonder V that he is today?
Wonder V who, you may ask.
Well, that's the title of my newspaper column that really gathered attention and yes, made eyebrows raise, when it first came out a couple of years ago.
You see, in my ten years of being an entertainment/lifestyle columnist for a local newspaper here in our country, I've changed the title of my column several times.
However, when I transformed it Wonder V, with the modified version of Wonder Woman's emblem (Which I designed myself and made a cut out made of golden place mat and then had it sewn on a red shirt) in my newspaper logo, I never expected that it would do the trick to me as a writer. Since then, managers of movie stars have been contacting me to interview their talents whenever they're in town (I live in the province far from the entertainment capital) and local socialites have always invited me to cover their parties.
Well, it must be the name recall of Wonder V.
But, how did I become a newspaper columnist and a short-lived lifestyle magazine editor?
As I've mentioned earlier, I was writing for the school paper. I have to admit though that I had the passion for writing, but for scripts intended for classroom skits or school programs.
Now, that kind of writing is definitely a far cry from magazine and newspaper writing.
After graduating from college with a Bachelor of Science major in Biology degree, looking for job related to my major was no easy task. In fact, I've never experienced putting into practice the things I've learned in college to earn a living. Sometimes, I even ask myself why did I have to dissect frogs, shark and cats and burdened myself memorizing all those parts of the body while trying so hard to remember those tongue-twisting (scientific) names.
And then the writing opportunity came. One of my friends called me up to inform me that the local magazine she was working with was looking for additional writers to do part time work. When she asked me if I could write entertainment articles, showbiz commentaries to be more specific, I said yes without dilly dallying. After all, I had been jobless for almost a year.
As a completely computer-illiterate wannabe magazine columnist, writing my sample article was no easy task. There was still no guarantee that I would be taken in so I knew I had to work hard, write well to get the nod of the editor. And I had to start by learning how to use Microsoft Word. I remember well how each of my fingers formed my article about the rivalry of two warring talk show personalities. That almost 500-word article was finally finished after almost 7 hours in front of the computer which I dreaded to use then.
Since the magazine I was applying for was general, the showbiz article I submitted was scrutinized if it could make it to the entertainment section.
Little did I know that it would jump start the career I would later consider the thing I want to do for the rest of my life.
And, just like what I had hoped for, it did and soon I found myself writing regularly for the magazine, talking about the showbiz glitz, glamour, rumors and scandals.
When the magazine company ventured into newspaper, I also became a weekly entertainment columnist. Soon, I was earning money out of something I never imagined possible. Little by little, since my name along with my picture appeared in the newspaper, I took it upon myself to better my newly-found craft. I bought grammar and writing books to improve my insufficient knowledge. And of course, I read lots of newspaper and magazines to enhance my writing style and to widen my vocabulary.
Years after that, I felt I had to move on.
Having watched a lot of talk shows including that of Oprah, it dawned on me that there's more that I can write about, topics that can inspire readers and provide them learnings.
I just knew I had to shy away from scrutinizing showbiz personalities and criticizing the issues they were involved then.
The law of attraction must have worked for months after pondering on my career path, I was told that another magazine was underway and that they were looking for writers. And the best part, it was going to be a glossy lifestyle magazine. Bent on making a career shift, I came up with a topic that tackled enjoying the present moment while allowing the past to bury its dead.
And again, as you can guess it, propelled me to the level of being a lifestyle writer, until I became the editor-in-chief of the publication. I also found a newspaper that utilized me as a lifestyle columnist who talked about life issues and eventually, to cover events and parties once in a while.
I really don't know if being a writer is part of my destiny or was just a chance that turned into a choice. But, I must admit that there are still times when writing doesn't come easy, much more if I don't like what I'm writing about but I have no choice. Ideas flow freely when what you write comes from your heart or is part of your belief system. In short, you are a better writer when you are true to yourself and your readers.
To all of you aspiring writers out there,if you really want your thoughts to be read, go ahead and pursue that passion. Not everybody is blessed with the ability to play with words while expressing themselves. Write not to impress but to express.
