How I Reignited My Love for Writing

Everyone has a different NaNoWriMo experience. We’ve asked some wonderful NaNoWriMo writers to share theirs. Today, Justin Isaacs, NaNoWriMo participant, shares how he rediscovered his passion for writing:

When I was in first grade, I wrote my first story. It wasn’t particularly good. However, that didn’t stop me from using writing as a creative outlet. 

Even at a young age I was fascinated with the macabre. Fueled by R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series, and later, Stephen King, I began my writing career early on with horror stories. (I was sent to the guidance counselor on more than one occasion throughout grade school. They eventually confirmed that I was able to mentally separate fiction from reality, and thankfully allowed me to continue writing unabated.)

I wrote dozens of short stories and novellas throughout grade school. On Halloween, during my sophomore year in high school, my little brother destroyed all of my manuscripts by gluing them to a desk and painting on them. I was absolutely devastated. All of my hard work had been completely eradicated, and so had my passion for writing. I thought I would never write again.

Then, six years later, during my junior year of college, I was introduced by a friend to NaNoWriMo. I was hesitant, but I had been working on a graphic novel idea at the time, and wondered how it would fare as a novel. I was nervous, having not written in so long, but I decided to go for it. 

I failed spectacularly, but I never considered it a defeat. My passion for writing had rekindled. I rewrote the same novel the following year and locked in my first win. Even while juggling file corruption, girlfriends, and deadline panic at work, I managed to win three more times in the last ten years.

NaNoWriMo has given me the confidence to write more seriously. I have started reading short stories with a critical eye, and I have already scheduled a writing class. I plan on actually sharing my writing with others, and engaging in mutual critiquing. I intend for writing to become a major component of my life. One day I even hope to publish one of my novels. 

NaNoWriMo has never been about completion, and I have the win rate to prove it. NaNoWriMo is about proving to myself that I have a story within me, and that I have what it takes to be a writer. I am thankful that NaNoWriMo has returned writing to my life, and I’ve never been more exited about the future.

Justin Isaacs is a mechanical engineer living and working in Connecticut in the aerospace industry. He started writing when he was in first grade, and still has the first story he ever wrote. His wife, Chia-Ying, has always been there to support him.

Top photo by Flickr user Jon Scally.