Identifying Passion through Memory

There are a handful of memories from my past that I could cite as having a definite connection with my personal identity; however, one in particular stands out to me as having a profound effect on my passion for writing. It is my desire to have a career founded on this passion and I owe a great deal of that part of my identity to a story that I wrote back in middle school.
In eighth grade, my English teacher suggested that I enter a short story competition. The winner would receive $100 and the publication of their story in a particular magazine. I remember having less than a week to submit my story and I was really excited to begin. I was constantly writing in my free time anyways and I had plenty of short story ideas to work with. While deciding what I should write about, I came up with two story ideas that I really liked. I ultimately went with the one that I felt was better as a short essay and I shelved the other one for the time being.

I sent in my story and three weeks later, I was called up on stage during an assembly and was given the first place cash reward in front of the entire school. It was a very exciting time to be sure, however, that is not the memory that I feel most connects me with my identity as a writer. Having that other story idea that I had come up with inspired me to expand on it and so I began writing what would later become a novel.

I spent the next two years, off and on, writing page after page and chapter after chapter of this fictional story. I never published it or even gave copies to anyone outside of my close family because it was never my intent to advertise it. I simply wanted to see if I could write a novel and I am very glad I did. It motivated me to not only continue writing but also to constantly challenge myself in that area. Looking back now, if I hadn’t taken the time to write the 200 pages of that story, I don’t think I would have the same appreciation for creative writing that I do now.
-Blake Beasley
Section 012