Why I write

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I was invited to participate in the Why I Write blog hop by the lovely Jackie from Hippie Mumma. Jackie and I "met" through an online diary site called Open Diary. One of our fellow diarists organised a Secret Santa one year and I was lucky enough to be Jackie's. Through the miracle of the interwebz I have watched Jackie get married and become mama to the gorgeous Olivia. One day I hope we can meet up in person!

I love to write. I've always loved writing - right from the time I picked up a pencil and paper and knew what to do with them. I took to reading and writing like a duck to water. My teacher would ask the class to write a short story and I would write pages and pages in half an hour.

Maths on the other hand.....

Why do I write?

I write to be heard. I write to get my story out there. I write so that people out there can get a glimpse into what it's like living with a physical difference....not that it's really any different mind you, but I want my writing to get that message out there. I think that was one of the things that prompted me into writing Life At My Level in the first place. I got tired of current affairs programs airing sickly sweet "inspirational" stories about people with dwarfism so I thought I'd get my voice out there and show just daily life.

I also write for my own therapy. As my picture up there says, "Sometimes I don't know what I think until I read what I say". Writing has been wonderful therapy for me - a place where I can come and get stuff out there on the page so I can see what's really going on and what I actually think about stuff.

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How does my writing differ from others in its genre?

Hmm...I don't think it does really. I've had people let me know that I take them on a journey when they read my writing; that I set up the story well. It's nice to know that. Other than that, I don't think I write differently at all. We all have our own stories and this is mine, unique to me...so I guess that's how my writing is different. It's my story, no one elses so in that way it's different to writing by others.

What am I working on?

At the moment I'm working on a piece for a project called Letters to Myself, as part of the Short Arts Collective with the Short Statured People of Australia. Each participant in the project is writing a piece either to their past or future selves, exploring what we want to tell the younger self or talking to our future selves about our hopes and dreams. I am writing to my younger self during a time that impacted where the rest of my life was going to head. It's been an intense project; one that I've had to step away from sometimes and reflect on some things. It's been therapeutic at times.

I'm also working on blog posts. Always.

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Why do I write what I do?

Because I have to. There's just something in me that can't stay silent. This is my way of dealing with my big emotions. It helps me make sense of my world and the journey I've taken right up to this point. It's almost like if I don't write then all these feelings are just going to well up in me until I explode - mainly the good feelings really. I get so overwhelmed with the goodness of life that sometimes I can't contain it - so I write.

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How does my writing process work?

I wish I could say that I dedicate a day where I batch write and schedule...but I don't. My writing is very much ad hoc as the feeling grabs me. Often I'll be thinking about a particular issue for days until I actually write something; other times I'll just go with it. It all depends. Inspiration for posts usually hits when I'm in the middle of a run and I have it all worked out, every word, along with accompanying photographs and sometimes a video with music and voiceovers. I come up with the most magnificent posts in my head when I'm running...but it all goes south when I sit at the keyboard so you just get what little of it remains.

Passing the baton.

It's said that a blog hop is like a chain letter without all the threats of bad luck. Instead it's just a way of passing on the love to other writers we each find inspiring or interesting. I'd love to introduce you to a blogger I really enjoy.

Courtney Simross is the writer of Life is Short and So Am I where she shares her experiences of being a Nanny, college student and best friend at a 4'2" perspective. She has achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism and loves sharing the humor she finds in her differences. Please pop over and give Courtney some love!