Over halfway through with this 30-day blog challenge, and honestly, this one's tough. I mean, what exactly does it mean by talent? Something I feel I'm good at? Something I've been actually told I'm good at? Something I've actually received an award or accolade for?
No matter what criteria I go by, you (as the reader) get an inaccurate picture.
For example, I feel that I am good at singing (relatively), but I've never received any corroborating testimony or evidence from any quarter. Thus, I would not consider it a talent.
Though I've received no prizes or multi-million dollar book deals, writing is another thing I feel I have a flair, a talent, for...even if I don't measure up to society's "standards".
I distinctly remember beginning to write as an elementary-school-goer, when my parents let me get one of those blank, color-it-yourself journals from the Scholastic Book Club. My seventh-grade English teacher wrote "Keep Writing!" in my junior high yearbook, and I wrote scads of love poetry through high school (probably semi-plagiarized, no doubt...I was highly impressionable).
College was a bit more of the same, although the poetry slowed down a bit. I found being in love much more preferable to writing poetry about it. Per the requirements for my major, I took Creative Writing. I distinctly remember one group writing exercise.
Teacher: In your group, write a "description for the senses" of the word I give you.
Group: Okaaaaay.
Teacher (to Heather's group): Your word is 'Lust'. Who's tackling what sense?
Heather (after much jockeying around): I've got smell.
Minutes later...I'd written four words to describe what Lust smelled like: sweat, wet heat, and monkeys. Surprisingly, my teacher thought it was great! Evocative, she said.
But then, I left the fun, carefree bubble of college and entered the real world. Career, kids, marriage. Writing came in a distant fifth...sixth, maybe?
Until I began blogging here, oh, about six years ago. Then, three years ago, I did NaNoWriMo...and well, the rest is history (documented somewhere here on the Internet, no doubt).
People had always said they admire the "voice" I write in. It's casual, believable, and genuine. Also, people will comment on how I use humor in my work...and it's true. It's quite difficult for me to write a wholly serious piece without some humor. I do really, really wish, though, I'd taken more classes about writing, kept in touch with it during the lean years. Then, I wouldn't feel like such a noob at times.
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